Chloe

A mixed blessing. 

I was at work very late last night. We were hosting Elaine Taylor, Minister of the Environment (and my largest funder) at the Preserve today and I was preparing. My office is also the board room. Anyone who knows me, and has seen me at the office, would understand just how long I might have been in at the office last night before I began stuffing files into the filing cabinet haphazardly, perhaps somewhat desperately. 

Just before 8, I was driving home when the call came. It was Maria, our vet, and she had just found out that we were getting a moose.  After Millie miscarried recently, we identified the need for a new female moose, and were about to embark on a hunt. While one of my Board members commented "moose usually walk themselves here," I can't believe it actually happened (metaphorically, of course). It is, a mixed blessing. We were so excited to get a moose, we kinda were crazy when she arrived and was a 'she!'

Anyway, we believe Chloe was born on Sunday in Haines Junction. She was seen in the townsite with her mom, but they were separated, seemingly by traffic on the Alaska Highway. Conservation Officers brought her to the forest to try and reconnect her to her mom, but they didn't bond.  They waited 24 hours, still no connection, and some grizzlies hovering, so Chloe was brought to the Preserve!

While the Conservation Officer and his wife were driving up (the Preserve is about 1.5 hours from Haines Junction), Mike and I went to Shoppers Drug Mart to buy Pedialyte and baby bottles. 

Lucky for us, Chloe fed from her mom before being separated. This is really important for the transfer of antibodies and for her knowing how to eat. Next, she had to 'imprint' on someone, and there is no better person than Maria. She is, truly, amazing with animals and Chloe like so many others before her is becoming extremely attached.  Maria is staying with her, or rather Chloe has taken over the bedroom off of Maria's office where Mike and I were living until recently.  We are so very lucky to have Maria, as just like a baby, Chloe will eat every 2-3 hours for days. 

Likely dehydrated, having been away from her mom for so long, Chloe was first fed Pedialyte every 3 hours. She moved to weak milk and, by tomorrow, full milk (special powder milk). First from a beer bottle with a large nipple (easiest to learn off of), then from a baby bottle, next a wine bottle with the large nipple - because she will only get hungrier and hungrier! 

Mike and I have both been fortunate enough to feed Chloe and to cuddle with her, however fleetingly. I think I'll be luck enough to have shifts most of this week, and then we'll be hunkering down on Friday night and Saturday to relieve Maria. 

So amazing.