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Although the advent of high‐resolution GPS tracking technology has helped increase our understanding of individual and multispecies behavior in wildlife systems, detecting and recording direct interactions between free‐ranging animals remains difficult. In 2023, we deployed GPS collars equipped with proximity sensors (GPS proximity collars) on brown bears (Ursus arctos) and moose (Alces alces) as part of a multispecies interaction study in central Sweden. On 6 June, 2023, a collar on an adult female moose and a collar on an adult male bear triggered each other's UHF signal and started collecting fine‐scale GPS positioning data. The moose collar collected positions every 2 min for 89 min, and the bear collar collected positions every 1 min for 41 min. On 8 June, field personnel visited the site and found a female neonate moose carcass with clear indications of bear bite marks on the head and neck. During the predation event, the bear remained at the carcass while the moose moved back and forth, moving toward the carcass site about five times. The moose was observed via drone with two calves on 24 May and with only one remaining calf on 9 June. This case study describes, to the best of our knowledge, the first instance of a predation event between two free ranging, wild species recorded by GPS proximity collars. Both collars successfully triggered and switched to finer‐scaled GPS fix rates when the individuals were in close proximity, producing detailed movement data for both predator and prey during and after a predation event. We suggest that, combined with standard field methodology, GPS proximity collars placed on free‐ranging animals offer the ability for researchers to observe direct interactions between multiple individuals and species in the wild without the need for direct visual observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences in botanical diet compositions among a large number of moose faecal samples collected during winter correlated with the nutritional differences identified in the same samples (Mantel‐r = 0.89, p = 0.001), but the nutritional differences were significantly smaller (p < 0.001).Nutritional geometry revealed that moose mixed Scots pine Pinus sylvestris and Vaccinium spp. as nutritionally complementary foods to reach a nutritional target resembling Salix spp. twigs, and selected for Salix spp. browse (Jacob's D > 0).Available protein (AP) and total non‐structural carbohydrates (TNC) were significantly correlated in observed diets but not in hypothetical diets based on food availability.The level of Acetoacetate in moose serum (i.e. 'starvation') was weakly negatively associated with digestibility of diets (p = 0.08) and unrelated to increasing AP:TNC and AP:NDF ratios in diets (p > 0.1).Our study is the first to demonstrate complementary feeding in free‐ranging moose to attain a nutritional target that has previously been suggested in a feeding trial with captive moose. Our results add support to the hypothesis of nutritional balancing as a driver in the nutritional strategy of moose with implications for both the management of moose and food resources. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Several large‐mammal species in Europe have recovered and recolonized parts of their historical ranges. Knowing where suitable habitat exists, and thus where range expansions are possible, is important for proactively promoting coexistence between people and large mammals in shared landscapes. We aimed to assess the opportunities and limitations for range expansions of Europe's two largest herbivores, the European bison (Bison bonasus) and moose (Alces alces). Location: Central Europe. Methods: We used large occurrence datasets from multiple populations and species distribution models to map environmentally suitable habitats for European bison and moose across Central Europe, and to assess human pressure inside the potential habitat. We then used circuit theory modeling to identify potential recolonization corridors. Results: We found widespread suitable habitats for both European bison (>120,000 km2) and moose (>244,000 km2), suggesting substantial potential for range expansions. However, much habitat was associated with high human pressure (37% and 43% for European bison and moose, respectively), particularly in the west of Central Europe. We identified a strong east–west gradient of decreasing connectivity, with major barriers likely limiting natural recolonization in many areas. Main conclusions: We identify major potential for restoring large herbivores and their functional roles in Europe's landscapes. However, we also highlight considerable challenges for conservation planning and wildlife management, including areas where recolonization likely leads to human–wildlife conflict and where barriers to movement prevent natural range expansion. Conservation measures restoring broad‐scale connectivity are needed in order to allow European bison and moose to recolonize their historical ranges. Finally, our analyses and maps indicate suitable but isolated habitat patches that are unlikely to be colonized but are candidate locations for reintroductions to establish reservoir populations. More generally, our work emphasizes that transboundary cooperation is needed for restoring large herbivores and their ecological roles, and to foster coexistence with people in Europe's landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Human–wildlife conflicts like wildlife–vehicle collisions pose major challenges for the management and conservation of mobile wildlife in human-dominated landscapes, particularly when large species are involved. Mitigation measures to reduce risk of collisions may be based on information given by wildlife movement and collision data. To test whether movement and collision data indicate different spatiotemporal risk zones, we predicted year-around probabilities of road-crossings of GPS-marked female moose (Alces alces) (n =102), and compared them with spatiotemporal patterns of police recorded moose-vehicle collisions (n =1158). Probability of moose road-crossings peaked in May, June, and between mid November and the beginning of January, i.e. during moose migration. Moose-vehicle collisions were more likely during autumn and winter. Comparing environmental attributes of crossing and collision sites showed significant differences. The likelihood of collisions increased with the abundance of human-modified areas and higher allowed speed, and was lower on forest roads. We found that animal movement data alone are insufficient to predict collision risk zones, while analyses of collision data alone overestimate the collision risk in certain habitats. Our findings suggest that higher collision risk is largely due to low light and poor road surface conditions rather than to more animal road-crossings. This suggests that efforts to reduce wildlife collisions should focus on driver attitudes and road conditions rather than animal movement, and any efforts to model the collision risk will require actual collision data, and not just movement data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Continual expansion of human development and recreational activity into previously undisturbed environments and wildlife habitat highlights the need for better understanding of behav- ioral impacts of human-induced disturbances on wildlife, especially where harvest is the main source of mortality. In a controlled field experiment in northern Sweden, we exposed 29 adult free-ranging GPS-collared female moose (Alces alces) to either off-trail hiking or snowmobiling activity to study individual response to non-lethal human activities. Both experimental disturbances resulted in signifi- cant increase in movement rates and diurnal activity ranges, and prompted moose to leave the area. Movement rates were elevated for 1 and 2 h following hiking and snowmobiling, respectively. We found that the overall moose response to human-induced disturbances was short in duration, suggesting negligible effect on the overall energy budget of moose in good condition when disturbances occur at moderate frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicopters are used for numerous wildlife management and research purposes, but can alter wildlife behaviour and influence baseline data collection. We investigated reactions of GPS-collared moose Alces alces and brown bears Ursus arctos to short-term helicopter approaches by researchers. Moose responded with up to 10 times greater movement rates for up to two hours following a helicopter approach and moved into more rugged terrain. Brown bears decreased their speed and remained within similar habitat types and terrain. The movements were influenced only about two hours and did not influence the size of the activity areas. Contrary to our predictions, brown bears responded with a somewhat calmer response than moose, illustrating response differences in large herbivores and carnivores. This difference in response might be because brown bears are actually less disturbed than moose by direct helicopter approaches or because of a difference in tactical behaviour between brown bears and moose following disturbance. Researchers and managers should thus be cautious in using knowledge from one species to predict or perceive disturbance response in another species or taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gestation and lactation have high energetic requirements. Up to three-fourths of the gestation period in moose (Alces alces) overlaps with the food-scarce period in winter. During this period, moose deal with the limited forage resources available through hypometabolism with decreased heart rate and body temperature (T b). Body temperature is also an indicator of oestrus, pregnancy and parturition, which is well documented in several domestic species. In this study, we sought to determine if moose displayed a similar T b pattern during pregnancy and parturition to domesticated ruminants, and if we could detect parturition by combining T b and activity data. We studied the T b pattern of 30 free-ranging adult female moose (≥1.5 years old), equipped with ruminal temperature loggers and GPS collars. We documented a 0.13–0.19°C higher T b in pregnant compared to non-pregnant moose, depending on the study area with the T b difference increasing along a south-north gradient, and a drop in T b and in activity when parturition was imminent. Detection of parturition was highly successful when combining T b and activity data with an accuracy of 91.5%. Our findings demonstrate that T b responses to pregnancy and parturition in a wild capital-breeding ruminant are similar to those of domesticated ruminants. • Body temperature in female moose varies between reproductive states. • Pregnant moose have a higher body temperature than non-pregnant females. • The body temperature of female moose drops when parturition is imminent. • Combined use of body temperature and activity data allows successful detection of parturition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]