It was late September 2006. Reports started coming in that a moose was on the loose in Watertown. It was hanging out in a neighborhood and moving around various backyards.

What You Need To Know

  • NYS DEC is requesting that anyone who spots a moose while out and about report the location on its website

  • The DEC is trying to gather location information to help it learn more about the habits and preferred habitats of Moose to help ensure a safer environment

  • Zoo New York in Watertown hopes to have a Moose exhibit in the next two to three years

It drew a crowd because after all, a 1,200 pound, 6 foot tall wild animal is just not something you see everyday, or maybe not even in a lifetime.

"Moose are great right? Everybody loves to see a moose. People travel to the Adirondacks and drive the back roads to try and see a moose. Just the presence of moose is exciting that we have them in New York," NYS DEC Wildlife Biologist and Big Game Leader Jeremy Hurst said.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is ramping up its efforts to track the moose population in the Adirondack region.

With such rare sightings of the large animal, the DEC hopes that reports from people who do come across moose in the region will help them to map where they are, and get a better idea of how to make the environment safer for them.

There are less than 500 reported each year, and those are often the same moose. The DEC estimates a population in the Adirondacks of roughly 400 to 700.

So it is teaming up with a number of agencies to gather information on their health, habitat and other factors that influence their survival and reproductive rates.

Researchers are asking anyone who sees a moose to report it on the DEC website, as any and all information can help it prepare a management plan to ensure these animals are here and thriving for decades to come.

"In recent years we've really increased our level of monitoring and have structured public input a little bit more specifically as we can track that distribution even better," Hurst said, as he mentioned the risk moose face when it comes to certain parasites.

Hurst does warn people, whether on foot or even in a car, to not approach a moose as it's safer to see them from a distance.

Circling back to Watertown, the hope from some there is that soon, with more known information, it will be much easier to see one up close. That could mean, perhaps, an exhibit at the city's Zoo New York.

"And begin to talk about the environment of the Adirondacks and how wonderful it is, yet how fragile it can be," Zoo Director Larry Sorel said.

While that might be a a couple years away, it is certainly one way to get people's attention.