Named after Strawberry Road in Anchorage, Alaska, where she was found, the zoo stated Anchorage neighbors spotted the young moose without her mother in June. The pair had previously been seen together by residents, and it’s unusual to see the mother without her calf.
Coincidentally, the Alaska Zoo’s deputy curator lives on the same road Strawberry was spotted. For two days, Strawberry was observed, and because there were no signs of her mother, the biologists determined that she was gone, according to a release from the Columbus Zoo. Strawberry was then taken to the Alaska Zoo for care.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
The Alaska Zoo didn’t have enough space, and Columbus was eventually selected as Strawberry’s new home.
Strawberry’s care team in Columbus has provided her with access to one of the moose yards so that she has the opportunity to explore the sights and smells of the habitat, according to the release. Strawberry is still undergoing the mandatory quarantine period for a new arrival and has not yet been officially introduced in the same space to the zoo’s other female moose resident, Bertha.
Bertha and Strawberry, however, can see each other and seem to be interested, according to the zoo’s team.
“As zoo and aquarium professionals, our Animal Care team at the Columbus Zoo is happy that we have the expertise and facilities to provide orphaned animals like Strawberry and Bertha with exceptional care,” said Dr. Jan Ramer, senior vice president of Animal Care and Conservation at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. “These two moose certainly had a challenging start in life. While we wish that nothing had happened to their mothers, we are proud to be able to provide them with the second chance that they deserve, while also inspiring our guests to learn more about this important North American species.”
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