Minnesota's moose are getting a big boost in attention and research funding that state officials hope can help curb the rapid die-off of the massive mammals.
On Monday, the state will announce its first, private-public partnership to raise money for research on why an animal synonymous with Minnesota's woods is mysteriously dwindling. The Department of Natural Resources will also unveil a new license plate featuring the moose — the eighth, critical-habitat license plate the state has designed to provide money to conservation efforts statewide.
"We've been trying to draw attention to moose [for years]," said Lou Cornicelli, the DNR's wildlife research program manager. "Moose are a species that aren't found in a lot of states."
The state's latest moves reflect a growing urgency to figure out what's causing the moose population to drop dramatically in recent years and how the trend could be reversed.
New numbers released earlier this year show that population estimates are up over last year — at an estimated 4,350 moose — but due to the variability of the tallies, it's not a statistically significant change, Cornicelli said, and the trend is still downward.
In recent years, researchers have ramped up efforts to better understand the moose population such as by studying calf mortality and conducting aerial surveys. But the research can be costly.
The work is getting a boost from the conservation organization that owns the copyrights and trademarks to the work of artist Les Kouba. Kouba, one of Minnesota's most recognized wildlife artists and a devoted conservationist, died in 1998, but he was among the first wildlife artists of his generation to donate prints and original works to conservation groups to raise money for waterfowl habitat.
Moose are "in the most need right now," said Greg Meyer, a representative of the group Les Kouba Outdoors.