No more 'moosejam' after Denali park officials capture two orphan calves

A pair of twin moose calves, orphaned when their mother was illegally killed near the Denali post office in early June, have found a new home at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

According to a press release from the National Park Service, the calves were safely captured near the entrance of Denali National Park and Preserve off the Parks Highway Friday afternoon and will be taken to the conservation center in Portage for care.

The two calves have become an increasing nuisance around the park entrance in recent weeks. Park spokeswoman Lynn McAloon said while the animals were an "adorable attraction" for visitors, they became a safety concern for those traveling the road near the park entrance at Mile 237.

"People have been stopping on bridges, getting out of vehicles, parking erratically," she said. "It's been causing great backups on the highway."

The calves' mother was found shot and killed in the park June 6, and the calves remained in the area. McAloon said park officials still don't know who killed the cow moose.

[Related: A cow moose was killed near Denali Park's post office. Park rangers want to know why.]

McAloon said park management felt that it was better to let the abandoned calves fend for themselves. But when they began to affect traffic — including running into the roadway — officials decided to intervene.

"If this were in a different location we would not be managing it this way," she said.

The visibility of calves — particularly for tourists entering the park — led to some criticism of park officials.

Sarah Parslow, a retired teacher from Florida who visited the park last month, led a letter-writing campaign in recent weeks to have the calves rescued.

Parslow, who's spending three months traveling in Alaska, was disturbed to see the moose calves fending for themselves during a visit. She said that while they've been eating, she thought they looked underweight.

She was frustrated to hear that the park wasn't doing anything to help the calves, which would wander near the roads, right where buses of tourists drive by to get to the park.

Parslow, 71, describes herself as a naturalist. She said if the moose cow had been killed under natural circumstances she would understand the park's stance. But she doesn't think that applies in this situation.

"Since it was a human being that killed the mother, it's a human being that should take care of the calves," Parslow said.

After hearing they had been rescued Friday, Parslow was grateful that the calves were getting proper care.

"I'll be going down to Portage and I'm checking on them myself," she said.