Cameras around popular hiking trail capture jaw-dropping moment that's leaving experts stumped: 'This is very unusual behavior'

Wildlife officials have been stumped by the odd behavior of a rare adult male bull moose caught on trail cameras in the Adirondacks region of upstate New York, according to the Associated Press. 

"This is very unusual behavior," said Dave Kramer, a research scientist for New York's Department of Environmental Conservation, per the AP. "Typically at this time of year, moose will have moved down into the lower elevations, where they're primarily browsing on aquatic vegetation."

The moose, which experts estimate to be about 4 years old and weighs roughly 900 pounds, has been lingering around the Goodman Mountain trail in the Horseshoe Lake Wild Forest since May, prompting officials to temporarily close the popular hiking trail, per the AP. 

Using multiple trail cameras in the area, officials have been able to remotely monitor the animal in an attempt to determine the cause of the strange behavior. A team of experts has also made periodic in-person observations from a safe distance. 

While experts suspect that some sort of disease or parasite may be at play, they have not observed any visible signs of illness. The moose has not displayed any signs of aggression, officials said.

"His body condition hasn't deteriorated to the point where we're concerned that he's struggling," said Kramer, according to the AP. "So right now we're just kind of monitoring periodically and assessing each time."

The situation highlighted the important role that trail cameras play in allowing non-invasive observations of wildlife in their natural habitats. Trail cameras also allow researchers to safely collect a wide range of useful data. 

"For instance, information can be collected on animal movement and range size, minimum population size, demographic data … identifying nest predators, or cataloging vertebrate diversity," according to Texas A&M University.

When combined with data from other sources, trail cameras help inform wildlife management decisions and identify rare or difficult-to-observe animals.

Without the trail cameras that were already in place, wildlife experts in the Adirondacks would not be able to keep nearly as close an eye on the bull moose's behavior, particularly while also maintaining a safe distance from the animal. 

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For the time being, the trail, which is in the town of Tupper Lake, will remain closed to hikers, as officials continue to observe the moose. 

In mid-July, a team of experts hiked to the animal's location to make in-person observations. They found the moose resting in the middle of the trail, and its behavior seemed "off," according to Adirondack Explorer.  

Still, Kramer cautioned that, while "the moose does appear a little thinner than we would expect this time of year," it is difficult to make any kind of diagnosis in the wild, per the AP. 

Though the moose's outlook remained unclear, one thing was certain: Wildlife officials would be able to monitor the animal's condition from a safe distance thanks to trail cameras.

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