Wildlife in stress, Ada takes up residence in the North End.
Cover photo by Michael Smith
Update on Ada’s passing on March 17, 2017 by Sitka Koloski.
“Clearing up misinformation since I spoke to them twice during: Ada was blocking traffic so the BPD were trying to feed her and give her water and she drank once but couldn’t hold it down or leave the road so they sent traffic around her waiting for F&G to come assess. She was bleeding out both ends and went down on her own and was just at the end of her life so F&G put her down to end her suffering at this irreversible point where her digestive system shut down and they took her to the foothills since not diseased. Feeding her clearly just eased her final days. All positive and caring.”
#RIPada
My Original Story
Another visitor to the North End has fallen in love with our peaceful, but wildly interesting corner of the world. An elk cow, now dubbed Ada, has been checking out the neighborhood for forage and safe places to bed down. Her condition is pretty poor and, after speaking to Travis at the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (@IDFG), it became apparent she is an older elk and her condition was triggered by our unusually harsh winter.
Photo by Lauren Stein McLean @laurenmcleanfromboise
IDFG has been to the North End to see Ada and evaluate her condition. Because of her age she can’t be tranquilized safely and moved. They also think that while she is foraging in the neighborhood, she will eventually make her way back to the foothills. The best advice we got is we need to give her space and allow her to kind of do her won thing until she’s ready to leave on her own accord.
It is nice to see her and I know many are concerned for her welfare, but the best we can do is allow her to forage on her own and NOT feed her to avoid her becoming dependent. The Boise Co-op has been leaving out discarded fruit and vegetables for her in an attempt to lure her back toward Hull’s Gulch and the foothills. Not feeding her is really a lot to ask and even IDFG thinks she needs to gain some strength before she heads north.
Photo by Duane Anders
Photo by Sara Simmonds @SeSimmonds
Photo by Elizabeth Taylor
Ada is trying to tell all of us in the North West Foot Hills that we need to help designate critical over wintering range for the elk. The last time they needed this type of range was 1991. They had all of the Dry creek valley but now that is gone to houses. We need to designate space for them for the future or winters that are hard, like this one, will leave them with no place to go.