Family Adopts Baby Moose

An abandoned baby moose may be going through a bit of an identity crisis. In fact, theres a good chance it thinks its a pet puppy. You see, a Canadian woman and her son have adopted the moose, and its living with them in their house. When Alaine Cousineau moved to her new neighborhood, she was hoping to make a new friend, she just never imagined hed be four-legged and furry. "I was kind of lonely when I first got here. I didnt know anybody, and I prayed and asked the Lord that I meet some people, and sure enough the Lord brought the moose and the people," Cousineau says. Her new neighbor is a baby moose named Baz. Abandoned by its mother, the Cousineaus found him resting beside their parked car three weeks ago, with its umbilical cord still attached. "We needed to do something for this poor animal or he was going to die. It was obvious that he was famished," says Peter Cousineau, Alaines son. So Cousineau fetched a bottle from the neighbors, and watched baby Baz double in size thanks to a special blend of evaporated milk and cereal. Baz has made himself right at home, napping near the fire, and following his adopted family everywhere they go. "We had a hard time to get him out of the house, he cried when we tried to get him out of the house. Hes just a baby, you know," Alaine says. For an animal that usually avoids the spotlight, little Baz seems to enjoy all the camera time he can get. Hes only 45 pounds now, but hell soon grow to be bigger than a horse, too big for the Cousineaus to keep as a family pet. The Department of Natural Resources says hell have to find a new home since its illegal to keep wildlife captive. The department plans to seize Baz and release him into the wild, and their advice for anyone else is to stay away. "They should leave it there, they should leave it alone. Dont touch it, and they should move away from the area," says Gilles Godin with the Canadian Department of Natural Resources. But the Cousineaus say Baz is free to go. "I cant imagine anyone doing any better for that animal than we are. He seems to be flourishing. Hes free, and eventually Im sure hes going to get the call of the wild and leave," says Peter. But until he leaves or is forced to go, Baz is soaking up all the love he can get. Moose Photo Credit: WPBN