Good Morning #Canada
Our recent move to Innisfil, with a short walk to Lake Simcoe, has provided us with hourly flyovers of Canada Geese. Another of our country's iconic animals respected for its monogamy, aerial prowess, and prodigious ability to crap everywhere. Throughout the day, we see hundreds passing overhead as they find resting spots on Cook's Bay, the southern arm of Lake Simcoe. On visits to our community beach, there are flotillas of geese too large to count. In the early 1900s, Canada Geese had been decimated due to habitat loss and hunting, but today it's estimated that there are more than 5 millon across North America thanks to conservation efforts and regulations.

I've had #BeaverWeek and #MooseWeek series. Don't be surprised if in the future I sneak up on you from behind with a Goose Week.

#CanadaIsAwesome #CanadaGoose
https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/animal-facts-canada-goose/

Good Morning #Canada
No surprise that hitting a Moose with your car can be fatal, for both of you. There are thousands of wildlife collisions daily across Canada, a small percentage with Moose but those lead to over 40% of the fatalities, approximately 30 per year. Moose are tall, heavy as f*ck, and when struck, they typically end up in your windshield. About 4% of collisions are fatal, 20% result in injury, and the rest are vehicle damage.

#CanadaIsAwesome #MooseWeek
https://youtu.be/ZSuztNKFbTU?si=GQrTHurW3kK4NBFJ

Good Morning #Canada
Where do babies come from? #Moose babies specifically.
- mating season, known as rutting, happens in late summer or fall, depending on the local climate.
- Bulls will mate with as many cows as they can (sound familiar...)
- Cows will protest loudly if a small bull tries to mate with them, in an attempt to attract larger bulls ( sound familiar...)

#CanadaIsAwesome #MooseWeek

Good Morning #Canada
It's minus 12.8°C here this morning and therefore appropriate that we talk about the impact of global warming on our beloved #Moose. These large mammals thrive in cold weaher habitats, so a warming planet can reduce its range. But the biggest impact comes from ticks, an insect that is thriving in North America in a warmer environment. Moose can carry thousands of ticks (ewww) which weakens them in the winter months.

#CanadaIsAwesome #MooseWeek
https://youtu.be/_97DHKIcQ8Y?si=ZxKl2t0d8W3_FnNe

Good Morning #Canada
An average #Moose is over 2 metres at the shoulder and weighs almost as much as a small car. So it doesn't have a lot of predators, but occasionally, they fall prey to wolves or bears. On the West Coast, studies have shown that Orcas will snack on them, as Moose travel to small islands to feed. This is despite the fact that a Moose could outswim Summer McIntosh. Moose content starts at 3:40 in the linked video.

#CanadaIsAwesome #MooseWeek
https://youtu.be/Qkii8NNQ8-o?si=Bf5r117eLpUtrx4U

Good Morning #Canada
I am officially and arbitrarily announcing Moose Week. For the next several days, until I run out of material, I'll share Moose related facts on one of Canada’s most iconic animals. Did you know that Canada has the world's largest moose population with as many as 1m of these 450 kg creatures. And yet, most Canadians have never seen one in the wild since they are solitary animals except during mating season.

#CanadaIsAwesome #MooseWeek
https://youtu.be/-2kErh4Wb2c?si=6--VymSqaeSGlSlo