Wildlife pathologist Scott McBurney, right, and large animal surgeon Art Ortenburger, both of the Atlantic Veterinary College, work with a mainland moose in this 2008 file photo. Nova Scotia wildlife officers are seeking public help in identifying poachers who killed an endangered mainland moose.
Nova Scotia wildlife officers are seeking public help in identifying poachers who killed an endangered mainland moose.
The remains of the animal, which was last seen last Thursday, were recently found in the woods near Highway 101 near Mount Uniacke.
It was cut up, the meat was removed and the hide and head were left behind.
The discovery came after the four-year-old animal was tranquilized last month as it was roaming near St. Croix in Hants County and it was set free in Pockwock, near Halifax.
Natural Resources Minister Zach Churchill said the moose meat contains residual tranquilizer drugs and is not considered safe to eat.
"Moose are big animals and it's a high-dosage tranquilizer so there are health repercussions to a human eating something like that," said Churchill.
A department spokesman later said advice from Health Canada is that meat from wild animals containing the drugs must not be consumed for one year to ensure the drug is completely eliminated.
However, testing has not been done on how consumption potentially affects people and the health effects aren't known, Bruce Nunn said in an email.
"Therefore we must consider it unsafe for consumption as a precaution."
The moose is an endangered species in areas of the province other than Cape Breton and conservation groups have been attempting to re-establish the mammal on the mainland.
It has been illegal to hunt the endangered mainland moose for over 30 years, but poaching has remained a factor slowing the recovery of its population.