Page 12 - 2003 SVALBARD, NORWAY

SVALBARD

Getting There
The 6:00 AM wake-up call found us finally sleeping soundly after a

very wakeful night with long stretches of sleeplessness, courtesy
of jet lag. The breakfast buffet was plentiful and we were aboard

the busses back to the airport by 7:45 AM We were just a little
more alert on this return trip so we were able to see again, with

more details noticed, the lovely farmlands and carefully mowed
fields. All the fields look like lawns because they are so closely cut.

Anneke, our guide for this portion of the trip, told us about the
various ways that the Norwegians try to protect both their moose
and their human populations from disastrous meetings on the

roadways.

Moose Red Lights And Moose Bridges (Overpasses)

We were instantly charmed by this wonderful people who would
go to such lengths to protect their wildlife and we were totally

amazed to learn that the Norwegian moose is just like the North
American creature except for being smaller. The first ploy Anneke

reported to us concerned “moose red lights.” Sensors were
actually placed in the woodland areas favored by the moose to
cross the nearby roadways. The devices were supposed to sense

the presence of the moose (and other creatures as well) and give
the automobile traffic a red light to alert the drivers to stop while

the moose crossed safely in front of them. Well, this delightful
device failed--the moose just chose other places to cross the roads

or the sensors failed to detect them when they did choose the
“right” crosswalks. That attempt was abandoned only after a year

of trials. Imagine such a patient and caring populace.