Residents along Estaire Road are concerned about the welfare of a female moose that has spent the past week in the snow on the side of the road in Wanup. Whether due to old age or illness, the large animal has barely moved in about a week.
Florence Girard lives in the area. She called Sudbury.com from the side of the road while looking at the moose. Girard, like many of her neighbours, doesn't like to see an animal suffering.
Another resident of the area, Maurice Boisvert, said the moose has been in the same 50-foot radius for at least five days, while other neighbours say the animal has been there for the past two weeks. Grey patches around the animal's face suggest it to be an older moose, but there are no other visible markings indicating illness or injury.
Some residents called the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry on the weekend out of concern, hoping to get some help for the creature. Sudbury.com also reached out to the ministry, but didn't receive an answer by press time today.
Tracks indicate the moose made its way down to the river bank, where it reportedly became stuck in the ice sometime late Thursday afternoon. At some point between Thursday and Friday, folks who live in the area told Sudbury.com the moose freed itself from the ice, crossed to the other side and took up a more permanent position on the opposite bank.
As of 11 a.m. Monday morning, the moose was sticking close to a small area on the left-hand side of the river, where it has reportedly been since early Friday morning. Concern for the animal's welfare prompted some residents of the area to leave apples, carrots and hay within reach. But so far, the moose hasn't touched the food.
"Its just hard to see an animal suffer like that," said resident Florence Girard, who reported the incident to Sudbury.com earlier this morning. "They would never let people that close to them, not if they were well."
Sudbury.com contacted Wild at Heart Animal Refuge Centre in Lively for insights into the animal's behaviour. The centre said the moose may have entered the area in search of swamp foliage, a staple in the animal's diet. However, the lack of appetite and lack of movement suggests the animal may be infected with a worm disease, common within the area's wildlife.
A spokesperson for Wild at Heart Wildlife said a common worm-borne illness in this area is a brain worm, a.k.a. parelaphostronylosis, symptoms of which are tilting of the head and neck, apparent blindness and walking in small circles.
However, without examining the animal it's impossible to say whether it is injured, diseased or elderly.
This story will be updated.
