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UnamedStreamNumber9 t1_iu44pi6 wrote

Reply to comment by [deleted] in Is it possible that only 4 moose imported to Newfoundland in 1904 could produce a viable modern population of 110,000 today? by SlipCritical9595

The wolves of isle royale in Lake Superior are from a small founder population that is badly inbred. The population suffers from a lot of mutations, poor health and low fertility/breeding success. A new male swam to the island about 10-15 years ago and it was hoped the new genetics would revitalize the population; but it’s my understanding it hasn’t really helped. The population is expected to go extinct. All this is to ask, are similar issues seen in the Newfoundland moose population?

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chris84055 t1_iu53ixc wrote

Neither here nor there, but the story I've always heard growing up in Northern MN was regarding occasional ice crossings in years where Superior froze. I've never heard stories about swimming out to the island.

Completely unrelated, my favorite Isle Royale fact is that there is a lake on the island. That lake contains an island. That island is the biggest island on a lake on an island on a lake in the world.

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UnamedStreamNumber9 t1_iu74060 wrote

Yeah, crossed the ice not swam. In part because the lake doesn’t freeze solid enough long enough reliably for other wolves to make the crossing

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