FLORENCE — Do you have a plant that could harm wildlife lurking in your yard?
In January, at least five elk calves died after eating a poisonous plant near Florence. MTN checked in with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks about how to help prevent this in the future.
“It really is something to be aware of if you have that in your yard. If you're not sure, take a look. If it's something that it's not too hard to remove it. It just helps because it is really poisonous,” said FWP spokeswoman Vivaca Crowser.
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The calves died after eating Japanese yew, a non-native ornament plant that is common in yards.
“We've seen [this] around Western Montana before, especially in those winters where we have heavier snowpack and wildlife are looking for things to eat,” Crowser said. “It's poisonous not just to elk, like in this case, but also other wildlife. Can be poisonous to people and pets too if they were to consume it.”
However, the plant causes problems beyond Montana, killing wildlife throughout the Rocky Mountain West. After heavy snow in 2016 and 2017, the plant killed 23 elk and 50 pronghorn in Idaho.
Since then, it has also killed several elk in between Hamilton and Darby and two Idaho moose.
“Definitely something that's not isolated, something that's worth noting looking around your house if you have Japanese yews, seeing if it's something you can replace when the spring planting season comes around so that it's not there next winter,” Crowser said.
If you — like many of us in Montana — live in an area where wildlife passes through your yard, FWP recommends you take a look for the plant. If you can remove it, make sure to toss the trimmings where animals cannot get them.
