The reward for information about a white moose killed near Foleyet now sits around $8,000.
The news about a white cow moose, that was killed and harvested on Nova Road sometime during the week of Oct. 26, sparked social media outrage. It also prompted Flying Post First Nation member Troy Woodhouse to offer a $1,000 reward that would lead to an arrest or encourage people involved to turn themselves in.
In less than a week, the initial amount has increased thanks to individual donations and offers from Missinaibi Drilling, and The Gordon and Patricia Gray Animal Welfare Foundation.
“It was nice to see that there are people in the community that care about the spirit moose,” Woodhouse said. “It’s very heart-warming to see that issue of the spirit moose has gained some traction and some people want to help out in these tough financial times … Hopefully, it leads to an arrest or someone coming forward about the crime.”
The drilling company offered to match Woodhouse’s reward, while the animal welfare foundation has offered $5,000.
“We’re very much against this kind of activity, illegal hunting, and we know how important (Indigenous) traditions are, so just agreed to do that,” said Gordon Gray. “We do everything we can in our foundation to support the wild being of wildlife.”
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) is investigating the incident.
“In 2006, the MNRF protected predominantly white-coloured moose in recognition of their cultural and spiritual significance to First Nation communities, and for the purpose of enhancing wildlife viewing opportunities within the local Foleyet area,” the ministry’s spokesperson Jolanta Kowalski said in an email.
It is illegal to hunt and harvest predominantly white-coloured moose in wildlife management units 30 and 31.
Kowalski said white-coloured moose are not a separate species, and their colour may be caused by a recessive gene that occurs within the broader moose population.
If you have any information about the incident, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit P3tips.com.
If your information leads to an arrest, you could earn up to $2,000 in cash. You will remain anonymous and not have to testify in court.
Woodhouse can be contacted by email at [email protected] or by phone 250-814-8473.