Moose Spotted in Iowa
There’s been several reports and photos of a moose wandering around in Plymouth County, in northwest Iowa. According to the DNR, the last time that a moose was reported in this area was in 2015.
The Iowa DNR says that now and then, a moose will wander into Iowa and they rarely stay long.
It most likely wandered south from Northern Minnesota or North Dakota, which is quite the distance from the normal territory for a moose. According to all-about-moose.com, Male moose have around a 52 square mile home range in winter. Female moose have an 18 square mile home range in winter.
Maybe it’s looking for food? A moose will eat up to 70 pounds of food a day. During winter, they will eat bark and twigs as other vegetation will have dried up.
They are the largest member of the deer family. They can be up to seven feet tall at the shoulders and weigh more than 1,000 pounds, according to Wide Open Spaces. Moose have very few natural predators. They're able to run at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour and are capable of swimming up to 10 miles without stopping.
Moose are generally not aggressive; however, they can become aggressive when they are harassed or when hungry and tired, especially in winter when they must walk through deep snow.
The moose population in North America is estimated to be fewer than 1.5 million. There are around 4,000 moose in Minnesota.