Science Communication Blog
Science Communication Blog
Protecting the white moose of Foleyet
by Amy Henson
A new provincial regulation will help protect the culturally significant white-coloured moose of the Foleyet area.
Over the past 60 years, white moose have been regularly spotted along the highway 101 corridor between Chapleau and Timmins.
“We estimate that there are currently between four and six white moose in the area,” said Mike Bernier, information management supervisor for the Chapleau district of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
The moose have been recognized to be spiritually significant by area First Nations and other local community wish to protect the moose in hopes to boost ecotourism opportunities in the area.
“The presence of the white moose encourages wildlife viewing and supports ecotourism potential in the northeast,” said David Ramsay, Natural Resources Minister of Ontario.
The new regulation under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act prohibits the hunting of moose that are predominantly white in colour in Wildlife Management Units 30 and 31, located near Timmins, Chapleau and Foleyet.
“Even though the moose are white in colour, they are not albino,” explained Bernier. The term used for animals that have a white colour like the moose is ‘leuchistic’. Albino animals do not have any pigment in their bodies. The fur or skin is white and their eyes usually pink. Leuchistic animals have white fur or skin but still have pigment in other parts of their bodies like the eyes.
There are only four to six individual white moose around Foleyet. This is due to the limited expression os a recessive gene.
Two white moose mating will always produce white offspring. If two brown moose mate and each of those animals carries the recessive gene, there is a 25% chance that their baby will be white. If a white moose mates with a brown moose who does not carry gene, none of their offspring will be white. A white moose who mates with a brown moose who does carry the gene have a 50% chance of producing a white offspring.
Even though this white population of moose is protected, the amount of available moose tags for the area will not be affected. “ “Since both white coloured moose and brown coloured moose can carry the gene, hunting has shown to have had no effect on the expression of the white coloured gene,” said Bernier.
White moose are a natural part of moose populations. They are not only found in the Foleyet area, but can be found in other moose populations throughout Ontario and North America.
Protecting the white moose of Foleyet
by Amy Henson
A new provincial regulation will help protect the culturally significant white-coloured moose of the Foleyet area.
Over the past 60 years, white moose have been regularly spotted along the highway 101 corridor between Chapleau and Timmins.
“We estimate that there are currently between four and six white moose in the area,” said Mike Bernier, information management supervisor for the Chapleau district of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
The moose have been recognized to be spiritually significant by area First Nations and other local community wish to protect the moose in hopes to boost ecotourism opportunities in the area.
“The presence of the white moose encourages wildlife viewing and supports ecotourism potential in the northeast,” said David Ramsay, Natural Resources Minister of Ontario.
The new regulation under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act prohibits the hunting of moose that are predominantly white in colour in Wildlife Management Units 30 and 31, located near Timmins, Chapleau and Foleyet.
“Even though the moose are white in colour, they are not albino,” explained Bernier. The term used for animals that have a white colour like the moose is ‘leuchistic’. Albino animals do not have any pigment in their bodies. The fur or skin is white and their eyes usually pink. Leuchistic animals have white fur or skin but still have pigment in other parts of their bodies like the eyes.
There are only four to six individual white moose around Foleyet. This is due to the limited expression os a recessive gene.
Two white moose mating will always produce white offspring. If two brown moose mate and each of those animals carries the recessive gene, there is a 25% chance that their baby will be white. If a white moose mates with a brown moose who does not carry gene, none of their offspring will be white. A white moose who mates with a brown moose who does carry the gene have a 50% chance of producing a white offspring.
Even though this white population of moose is protected, the amount of available moose tags for the area will not be affected. “ “Since both white coloured moose and brown coloured moose can carry the gene, hunting has shown to have had no effect on the expression of the white coloured gene,” said Bernier.
White moose are a natural part of moose populations. They are not only found in the Foleyet area, but can be found in other moose populations throughout Ontario and North America.
posted by Amy at 11:44 PM
3 Comments:
Excellent story Amy!!!
I really think you've found your calling.
I second James' comment. This is one of the best written articles I've read in awhile. More specifically, I finally understand the difference between albino and leuchistic!
Go Amy!
I second James' comment. This is one of the best written articles I've read in awhile. More specifically, I finally understand the difference between albino and leuchistic!
Go Amy!
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