Oh my god! Evanston residents are worried about their friendly neighbor, Big Betty the moose.

What happened to Big Betty? Evanston residents are concerned that their neighborhood’s moose are looking a little worse this spring.

Big Betty is a moose known to many people in this southwestern Wyoming city. They often find her resting in the garden, sometimes with a calf beside her.

When Shasta Sharp noticed Big Betty in her backyard Wednesday morning, she was surprised by the elk’s appearance. A large strand of hair on her right side was gone, revealing fresh pink skin. It looks like some kind of injury.

“She’s been visiting us for three years now,” Sharp said. “When I watched her from my home office (Wednesday), she was having trouble lying down. She looked like she was in pain.”

Big Betty wandered around Sharpe’s yard until 4 p.m., then wandered off to the comfort and safety of someone else’s yard.

Many Evanston residents were alarmed when Sharp shared images of Big Betty in its current condition. some called It’s “heartbreaking” to see her in such a condition.

“She’s our friendly neighborhood moose,” Sharp said. “We all love her very much.”

House call

Concerned about Big Betty’s condition, Sharp called the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Evanston office. One of the field workers arrived at Sharp’s home and fed the elk again from a safe distance.

“We got as close as we could and watched her for a while,” she said. “Her leg wasn’t broken, so there was no worry that she had been hit by a car.”

There was nothing more they could do.

Sharp was told to keep an eye on Big Betty and call the Evanston office again if her condition worsens.

“I’ve been told it’s painful to watch, but for now they’re going to leave her alone,” she said.

Mousse MD

James Hobbs, Wyoming Game and Fish’s Green River regional wildlife supervisor, confirmed that someone from his office went out to assess the health of Evanston’s elk.

Based on reports from the scene, he believes the moose is in worse shape than she feels.

“Based on the description, the moose appeared to be in good condition,” he said. “There were no broken limbs, and the animal was still eating well and moving around.”

Mr. Hobbs had no explanation for the elk’s shedding. There can be many reasons for this period.

“It’s possible that it got caught in a car, but it could also have been caused by a scrape,” he said. “As the weather starts to get warmer, they rub it against everything, including plants and buildings, and they can even rub it off of their hair.”

Hobbs also said Wednesday was a wet and cold day in Evanston. Perhaps that’s why the exposed pink skin swatch looked worse than before.

“When your hair is wet, it gets darker,” he said. “So the pink color of their skin is more pronounced, especially in moose that are in the borders of local cities.”

After looking at Sharpe’s photos and hearing her colleagues’ evaluations, Hobbs said she had “no concerns” about Big Betty’s health.

“Just like humans, animals encounter all kinds of suffering,” he said. “The moose didn’t appear to be sick or seriously injured. It was hard to tell if it was even an injury because it was raining and (the skin) was more noticeable.”

moose disease

Fully grown elk have few natural enemies.

Even adults can withstand the impact of a car, but it is dangerous to try to get into the car. crime.

One of the fatal problems for moose is tick infestation. In the eastern United States, there have been documented cases of moose found with 50,000 to 100,000 ticks attached to their bodies.

Wyoming elk are not immune to tick infestations. In fact, they seem to be particularly susceptible to them, which can cause blood loss, weight loss, and overall health problems.

Ticks, directly or indirectly, can easily be a death sentence for a moose.

Will Big Betty survive death even if bitten 10,000 times?

Hobbs acknowledged that Big Betty may have lost some hair while trying to scrub the tick off, but there was no indication that she was fighting an infestation.

“Our field personnel got very close with binoculars and could not see the tick at that time,” he said. “It’s obviously got a lot of ticks, but he couldn’t find any evidence of it.”

Overall, Hobbs’ Big Betty’s prognosis is good. She may not be in the best shape at the moment, but outwardly she didn’t appear to be sick or injured.

“If they look good, are moving well, and are feeding, we allow them to continue doing what they want to do, which is survival,” he said. “I don’t think there was anything to worry about.”

Despite this reassurance, Sharp and many other companies know there’s little they can do if conditions worsen for Big Betty, and will continue to keep an eye on the elk in their habitat.

“She’s an old lady,” Sharp said. “We hope this spot heals and her body starts healing soon. But there are no antibiotics for moose, so she has to heal herself.”

andrew rossi It can be accessed at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.