Future uncertain for Sudbury Ont.'s Ella the orphan moose

Morning North6:42Ella the moose - surviving in captivity despite the odds

The future is very uncertain for Ella the moose. She's surviving in captivity which doesn't happen often for moose calves. She was found orphaned in Sudbury last May. We spoke about Ella with Janalene Kingshott of the Aspen Wildlife Sanctuary.

A moose calf from Sudbury is healing well at an animal sanctuary south of Parry Sound but Ella the moose isn't out of the woods yet.

Ella was found orphaned in May and was living at the Wild At Heart Animal Refuge in Lively, a community in the Greater Sudbury area.

When she broke her leg in September, she was sent to Guelph for multiple leg surgeries. Now she has a new home at Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary south of Parry Sound.

Aspen Valley's director of animal care there said it's very difficult to keep moose alive in captivity.

"They're just a very sensitive animal," Janalene Kingshott said.

"It's funny because you have some species that do very well, like raccoons. They're very adaptable and can handle different situations. Where I don't think moose calves are like that."

Kingshott said moose calves are also prone to infections.

"It's very high stress for them to be somewhere they're not supposed to be. I think that's one of the reasons why they don't thrive as well in captivity," she said.

"They need an awful lot of nurturing. They don't like to be left on their own. So if you have a single moose calf you have to spend a lot of time with it."

If Ella can't be released back into the wild, it is hoped Ella might be able to help nurture future calves. Kingshott said she could help educate the public about declining moose populations.

"I think especially right now with what's happening to the population in the wild, it's a great time to educate the public on moose," she said.

"So I think Ella would make a great educational animal if it came to that."