A cow moose pregnant with two calves was shot and abandoned along the Carcross Road on Sunday, Dennis Senger, of the territoiral Department of the Environment, said today.

Senger said the moose was discovered at 4 p.m. that day by wildlife regional biologist Rob Florkiewicz.

He had stopped to chat with a motorist who had stopped to take a picture of two moose standing in a field near the Robinson subdivision.

As he chatted with the photographer and surveyed the situation, he noticed the cow laying off to the side.

Department officials were planning to hold a briefing this afternoon to unveil more details of the situation.

Meat from the animal was salvaged, Senger said.

The moose population in the area south and west of Whitehorse has been in trouble for two decades or more. Hunting has been limited to permit hunts only.

Senger said the department is asking anyone with any information that may help in the investigation to come forward.

'My understanding is it was still warm,' Senger said of the moose carcass when it was checked by the department biologist.

'We are going to be asking information on the kinds of vehicles, and we will be asking the photographer to come back as well.

'Two of our COs (conservation officers) went out Sunday evening to conduct our investigation and that is when we discovered the cow was pregnant with two calves.'

The Southern Lakes region is also the focus of an intense caribou recovery program to try to bring back the woodland population.

Now in its 12th year, the program is showing positive signs of success.