Moose antlers on the loose: Hikers put call out for missing animal shed
A group of hikers from Calgary came across a unique find while exploring in the Alberta Rockies last summer.
At the start of August 2021, James Crawford, along with two friends, hiked Mount Smutwood, in Kananaskis Country, west of Calgary.
“Near the top of the mountain we saw a lot of beautiful sights,” said Crawford, an avid hiker. “(There was) also the remains of a glacier up there, so we went to check that out.”
As they got closer, the group came across something unexpected.
“There was a moose antler. It appeared to have just thawed from the glacier,” said Crawford. “And we looked it over and it wasn't just a shed, there was some skull attached, and some jaw and vertebrae.”
The group left the bones where they were, making sure not to disturb what they'd found.
“(In the parks) just take pictures and leave only footprints,” said Crawford.
According to the province, antlers or any other naturally shed wildlife parts can only be kept without a special permit if they were found outside a national or provincial park.
In national parks, collecting wildlife like berries, fossils or even antlers is illegal. The government says any discoveries should be reported to the nearest park office.
A piece of jawbone and teeth discovered near the antlers. (Courtesy James Crawford)
When it comes to fossils, the Royal Tyrrell Museum says a discovery should be photographed and the location properly documented then reported to officials and left alone.
“It was surprising,” said Lisa Kolias, who was there when the bones were found. “We were excited and shocked to see an antler and the remnants so high up. (You) don't generally see wildlife up that high.”
Kolias described the bones as old and spongy, yet still pristinely intact.
Crawford contacted officials to report the moose remains but he says by the time researchers went to collect them a couple weeks later, the antlers were gone – taken either by animal or human. The other fragments of the moose were still there.
“It’s still important to (the researchers) and so they would like to have it,” said Crawford.
Crawford has put a call out on social media to see if anyone knows the whereabouts of the antlers, and says he would be happy to connect them with the appropriate researchers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Walmart, Costco refusing to sign grocery code of conduct 'untenable': industry minister
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says it's 'untenable' for 'smaller players' like Walmart and Costco to delay signing on to the government- and industry-led grocery code of conduct, now that industry giant Loblaw has agreed to do so.
BREAKING NEWS Serious boat crash kills 3, injures 5 on the Buck Bay area of Bobs Lake: OPP
Three people were killed and five others were injured Saturday night following a boat crash on the Buck Bay area of Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont., the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said.
The secret Italian lakes that most tourists don't know about
Italy has dozens of secret smaller lakes that boast superb scenery, unknown to mass tourism, where locals get together on day trips and enjoy picnics.
VIDEO Born without front legs, this dog has been inspiring the world for 3 years: Dresden farm owner
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Ottawa driver who appeared to be racing another vehicle on Highway 416 facing charges
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says an Ottawa driver is facing charges after being caught going 187 km/h on Highway 416.
'It's pure joy!': B.C. pilot takes 96-year-old grandma on meaningful flight
“Good to see you,” Ryan Godard says before giving his 96-year-old grandma a big hug and walking her towards the small airplane. “Let’s get you prepped.”
Robbers made off with 'several million euros' of jewels in armed heist at Harry Winston store in Paris
Armed robbers who used a motorbike as a battering ram made off with 'several million euros' worth of valuables in a heist of the luxury Paris boutique of self-declared 'Jeweler to the Stars' Harry Winston, the French prosecutor’s office overseeing the police probe said.
Residents evacuated after threats made to residence in Fall River, N.S.
Nova Scotia RCMP are warning the public to avoid the area around Canterbury Lane in Fall River after a threat was made at a residence.