Moose (驼鹿), which weigh up to 700 kilograms, can be dangerous to people. They can cause deadly traffic accidents and also can harm people and other animals by stepping on them. Wildlife biologists in the US are trying to get a correct count of this kind of big animals.
The counting is being done in Alaska's largest city, Anchorage. Recently, many moose have been found in this city. The officials tried to get their count, but the problem is that the animals continually move and the city covers an area of over 5,000 square kilometers.
In the past, officials used lowflying airplanes to watch for moose on the ground to get their count. But rules from the city's airport now prevent such flights, so Alaska's Department of Fish and Game is experimenting with a new method for counting the city's moose. The researchers are trying to collect genetic material called DNA from moose. They say this will allow them to get a more accurate (精确的) result without having to catch them.
Biologists sought help from the public during their threeday project last month. They asked people to call or send text messages to report when they saw a moose. Teams of moose hunters then quickly drove to the areas. The teams shot the moose with special darts (飞镖) designed to get small pieces of skin and hair. The darts were weighted so that they could fall off the moose and then the material could be collected. The skin and fur were then taken to a laboratory to be studied. Researchers say the darts do not hurt the animals.
Biologist Dave Battle led the project. "There's really been no technique up until now. And it's something we've been beating our brains out to work on for the last couple of years," he said. Battle says the technology is allowing officials to improve their knowledge and management of the moose population in the Anchorage area. But he adds that it will take some time to study the DNA material to come up with specific numbers.
