International Moose Count Underway
By: (your name)
The UN-sponsored International
Moose Census got off to a flying
start today with hopes for an increase
in the worldwide moose population
compared to last year’s disappointing
figures. Among the traditional early
reporters were Egypt, returning figures of six moose, a twenty percent
increase on 2011’s figures of five, and
Uruguay whose moose population remains stable at eleven.
According to Robbie McRobson,
head of the UN Moose Preservation Council, worldwide moose numbers are expected to grow markedly
on last year due to the traditional
moose strongholds of Canada and the
United States, with the larger developing moose ecologies also poised
to make gains. The largest percentage increase in moose will likely
come from China’’, says McRobson,
The Chinese government has invested
heavily in moose infrastructure over
the past decade, and their commitment to macrofaunal is beginning to
pay dividends’’. Since 2004 China has
expanded moose pasture from 1.5%
of arable land to nearly 3.648% and
moose numbers are expected to rise
to 60,000 making China a net moose
exporter for the first time. This is
good news for neighboring Mongolia, a barren moose-wasteland whose
inhabitants nonetheless have an insatiable desire for the creatures. The increase in Beijing-Ulanbataar trade is
anticipated to relieve pressure on the
relatively strained Russian suppliers,
but increase Mongolia’s imbalance of
trade with its larger neighbor.