P. Is this a regular occurrence or ? i know it's cold in Alaska but wondered if this is unusual behavior for a presumably wild mouse? or is it a youngster who is hungry?
It is not too unusual to see Moose in Anchorage. If one spent three days in town and tried to find a Moose and was unable too...that would be unusual. We have a good bit of green space and sit on a flat plain between the Pacific Ocean and the Chugach Mountains. So as the city grew the Moose adapted. In the early summer many Cows give birth in the area woods and raise their calves in a reasonably bear free zone. In the winter many more animals come into the city from the mountains. The roads are plowed and there is more browse for them to feed on. Winter stressed Moose trade Wolves for Automobiles when the snow depths force more of them onto the roads. This picture was taken at the end of a very snowy winter. In good years, by March, Moose are in their hunger season...but again, it's wise to be Moose aware whenever you are driving or walking in Anchorage. They literally can be anywhere and the local school district educates all of its students on what to do if a Moose (or Bear) is encountered on the playground (checked before every recess) or at their bus stops (to include the distinctions for Cows with Calves). Not bad for a city of 300,000.
I was in Anchorage in summer 2007 and heard a traffic report on the radio giving the normal warnings on traffic jams and to avoid the mother moose and calf on blah blah street.
There are no wild Caribou herds near Anchorage. The closest herd is the Kenai Mountain Herd, south of the city across the Turnagain Arm. In the small cities of Kenai and Soldotna it's not uncommon to see Caribou from the Kenai Lowlands Herd in town. I've seen Coyotes, Foxes, Moose, Beavers, and Black Bears in residential areas of Anchorage. Lynx tracks in Kincaid Park (surrounded on three sides by built up areas). I've seen Wolves (3), Brown Bears (2), Dall Sheep, and Beluga Whales all within sight of roads and buildings during my time here. All wild.
