Pete the Moose saved !

Pete the moose was orphaned when some dogs attacked his mom. Raised in a private preserve, Pete has prospered. However, in the preserve are other animals, like non native Elk. The fear for wildlife officials is that Pete or the other elk will escape from their captivity, and spread disease among native species. Either pete and the others would be put down, or, the preserve would have to somehow become part of public protection which would cost taxpayers alot and create a precedent of having state care for orphaned animals from private estates. So, a Facebook page was made for Pete, and thousands of users petitioned to have Pete saved. Now the Vermont legislature passed a bill to allow private preserves to care for wild animals of non native species (not Pete, but his Elk friends) and also required higher fencing and prevention to stop any contact (even nose to nose) between captive and wild species. Some lawmakers think this is bad precedent, because they dont want to encourage anyone from creating private preserves for wild animals (good point). But Pete is still alive and is protected, and word has it that another moose in the preserve is carrying Pete's child - which presents another problem, which is another domestic moose that may have virus foreign to wild moose population.

Anyway, funny story, since lawmakers are usually obsessed with humans who are brain dead but should be kept alive (Terri Shiavo) or humans who want to die but we make them stay alive and suffer (Dr. Kevorkian's imprisonment). I am not sure if the Vermont leg did the right thing, but then again, Pete didnt do anything wrong other than being born so it does seem cruel to put him down simply because he was kept with some non native Elk. His protector, an older man who looks like Santa Claus (and who has cared for Pete since Pets' childhood, or Moosehood), says Pete wouldnt know one way or the other if he were dead or put down.....but I think that is not true - my experience with animals is that they do know they exist, they have their own identity, and yeah, being alive sure as hell beats being dead. I came home last night to the most beautiful sunset - its good to be alive, Pete !