Dubbed "MooseBelt," the initiative aims to address the limited insight available so far into the migration routes, feeding grounds and resting sites of moose, also known in Europe as elk (Alces alces).

Naturally moose do not recognize national borders or any other boundaries, nature reserves, etc., and the populations of Estonia and Latvia, both heavily forested and, by European standards, sparsely populated countries, are inexorably intertwined.

Endrik Raun, who heads up the MooseBelt project, explained more by saying: "We are looking at how the 150-kilometre-long border fence built along the Estonian–Latvian border affects moose migration," adding that since the Rail Baltica high-speed link will bisect the animals' range, the effects of this project will also be studied.

Twenty moose in southern Estonia plus the same number on the other side of the border, will be fitted with collars and GPS monitoring to track their movements, feeding rest patterns, distance covered by bull elks during rutting season and more.

Raun said the animal is sedated before the collar is fitted, which would last for around three to four years before its battery expires, though processing the data will be a much more permanent task, and carried out in cooperation with the Tartu-based Estonian University of Life Sciences as well as universities in Latvia.

As well as scientists and public-sector institutions, the project also involves hunting organizations – Raun himself is a board member of the Estonian hunters society – who have a central role in providing data, local knowledge and practical expertise essential for evidence-based and effective game management, the project's organizers say.

The study also aims to redress the issues of one-sided management decisions which can lead to imbalanced outcomes and harm to the environment.

There are an estimated 11,000 moose in Estonia (2023 figure).

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