March 2021 - 16

IN THE FIELD

A bull moose wanders through the parking lot at the Supreme Court building in Cheyenne on the morning of Sept. 24, 2014. Game and Fish personnel responded and immobilized the moose before
loading it for release to the Sierra Madre Mountains. A large crowd gathered to watch the activity and applauded after personnel safely loaded the moose in the trailer. (Photo by Robin Kepple/WGFD)

Handle with care
Chemical immobilization helps
wildlife managers confront conflicts hands-on
By Sara DiRienzo

ild. It's the reason spotting a lone
bull moose on the golf course
or glimpsing a mountain lion
wandering the city streets stays
with you. We don't expect to see animals like
these in our developed areas, and sometimes
they need a little help from Wyoming Game
and Fish Department's wildlife managers to
find their way back to where they came before
(or after) getting into trouble. As exciting
as that task is, it also can be dangerous for
wildlife and people, and it's part of the job
for Game and Fish to keep everyone safe.
Samantha Allen, Game and Fish
veterinarian, calls these instances
" misadventures " when curious or lost
creatures inexplicably end up in backyards,
window wells or visiting the Wyoming state
capitol. Unusual wildlife in town is considered
a complex wildlife management scenario, and
the response is just as multifaceted.
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" If you get an animal like a moose in
town, it can garner a huge amount of public
attention, " Allen said. " Often, the more
dangerous the situation the more interested
people are, so we work to keep everyone safe. "
In an event of big or atypical wildlife in
town, community members are often the
first to notice and alert Game and Fish with
sightings and location. Tips from the public
are important in these cases, but following
wildlife around town can be dangerous. It
puts an already stressed and fearful animal
at risk, as well as nearby humans because
wildlife can behave erratically.
Once on scene, local wildlife managers
will evaluate the situation. They'll consider
how long it has been in town, if it was chased
or behaves docile or if it is near a busy road or
people. These are a few of the considerations
for managing the scene, immobilizing the
animal and deciding next steps.
" The background and the location's
surroundings are huge factors, " said Stan

Harter, Game and Fish wildlife biologist in
the Lander Region. " An animal could take off
and run. If they are near a main thoroughfare,
it could be tragic. "
Often, wildlife managers will turn to
a method called chemical immobilization
to more easily control and to capture the
plucky creature. Chemical immobilization
is a commonly-used tactic, especially in
handling large wildlife in potentially dangerous
environments like in a bustling town square
or even someone's front porch. The main goal
is to restrict an animal's movement safely and
give people enough time to remove it from
the situation.
The drugs used in chemically
immobilization are varied and go beyond mere
tranquilization.
" We'd typically deliver a complex mixture
of drugs through a dart that might calm it
down - like a tranquilizer - but the drugs
also restrict their mobility so we can safely
handle the animal, " Allen said. " An animal

March 2021

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