A day-old moose calf that was attacked by dogs in Talkeetna was taken to a wildlife center, where a large gash on its back was cleaned and stitched up.

The calf was being closely monitored and appeared to be doing well, Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center staff said Wednesday.

The center, which receives anywhere from two to five calves a year, said the baby moose will stay at the center for the foreseeable future.

Mike Miller, the center's executive director, transported the calf to the center in Portage Tuesday evening after being alerted to the situation by Alaska Department of Fish and Game officials. The wound was cleaned and closed by the center's intern staff.

KTUU-TV reported early Wednesday that the calf was separated from its mother Tuesday after being chased around a Talkeetna neighborhood.

Miller said this is the spring calving season and it is best to leave moose alone if possible.

"It just floods the woods with so many calves that predators that naturally prey upon moose calves can't get them all," he said.

It is better to leave moose calves alone and give them a chance to grow up in the wild, Miller said. The calves are rarely abandoned by their mothers, he said.

"If you are concerned about the well-being of the calf, contact the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, but leave it where it is," he said. "This moose would have been better off left in the wild to grow up like a normal moose would, but because of this human interaction, we need to step in and care for it."

Miller said some of the young moose that are brought to the center are released back into the wild but some others must live out their lives there.