Mom and one calf rest on the east lawn, next to the front window.

"Our" mom and one calf dropped in Friday evening, browsing right next to the house on the cotony asters.  The second calf wasn't with them, and didn't seem nearby, although mom seemed to be watching for something.  She often turned to face the street, and even when she was paying some attention to the remaining calf and to browsing, she often looked over her shoulder toward the street.  Mom was also seriously favoring her left rear leg, putting no weight on it and holding her hoof off the ground.  At first it seemed she might have a broken or sprained ankle, but there was significant deformation in her flank by her hip and her left rear leg above the knee joint was badly swollen.  She was eating, but looked like she had lost weight. The skin over her left hip was stretched and her flank seemed distorted.  Calf and mom lay down on the east-side lawn for a while, then moved to the south-side lawn.  As of 10:30 PM, they had moved on, near our driveway turnout.  By the time we turned out our lights, they had gone. 

Mom looking back at the street, and putting no weight on the left rear leg. The hip seems badly deformed.

The calf is maybe 125-140 pounds and looking good, but it is not nearly big enough or strong enough to protect itself.  It may be still nursing some and may not be nutritionally independent yet.  Very cinnamon and very cute; fur still soft, and lashes very long.  But mom is in bad shape.  It appeared she has lost one calf, possibly in a vehicle accident.  Mom also appears to have been badly injured, probably in a vehicular collision, since it isn't likely a predator caused the hip and leg injuries, absent any claw or fang wounds. She can't go far for food or protection, and can't effectively protect the remaining calf.  Even if the other calf is alive, it is alone.

The calf browses, while mom looks around.

The family looked good when they last visited, in June; the twins had been frisking about, and mom was watchful and alert.  (They have probably come by at other times, while we were sleeping.  There have been hoof prints in the lawn.)  But this situation looks grim for the whole family.  No agency will step in to aid or put down an injured moose (except maybe one right at the scene of a vehicle accident). If mom dies, the calf can't survive on its own.

Mom and calf rest before moving on, but she seems haggard and the hip is deformed and perhaps displaced.