COEUR d’ALENE — After The Press published a story about a moose who visited a local business this week, readers shared their concerns about the animal’s health.

The yew plants the moose grazed upon Tuesday are poisonous.

Yews are evergreen shrubs or trees containing toxic alkaloids that affect the heart, according to Kootenai County Noxious Weed Control.

The needles and seeds of all yews — including English yew, Canada yew, Japanese yew, Pacific yew and hybrids — are poisonous to horses, cattle, sheep, goats, rabbits, moose, elk, dogs, cats and other animals.

Humans, especially children, are also susceptible to the toxins in these plants.

Yews have soft, flat, pointed, needle-like leaves. The upper surface is dark green with a lighter green underside. Leaves are arranged spirally or in a flat plane. The bark is thin and scaly and varies from dark reddish-brown to purplish-brown.

The plants are toxic year-round, whether they are fresh or dried.

Livestock are accidentally poisoned when yew trimmings are thrown onto manure piles or over a fence. Elk and moose are typically poisoned after grazing upon yew plants in residential areas.

In Idaho, fatal ingestion of Japanese yew has been documented in elk, moose, deer and pronghorn, according to Idaho Fish & Game.

Despite Blaine County’s ordinance restricting the planting of yew, five elk died in the Wood River Valley last January after they consumed toxic yew plants in residential areas, according to Fish and Game. Two of those elk were calves.

Yew plants killed at least 20 elk in the same area between 2015 and 2016.

Idaho Fish & Game advises residents to inspect the landscaping around their homes and remove all yew plants in an effort to keep wildlife and pets safe, especially during winter months when wildlife move into residential areas.

Homeowners should completely remove any yew from their yards. Yews sprout from cut stumps, so all large roots must be dug out, unless an herbicide has been used to kill the roots.

If removal is not possible until spring, the plants should be securely fenced or tightly wrapped with burlap so wildlife can’t access them.

After reading Thursday’s story in The Press, the public also reached out to Gentle Family Dentistry in Coeur d’Alene, where the moose grazed on dense spreading yew.

Staff said they’re grateful for the information and will immediately contact Fish & Game if the moose is spotted in the area again.

The moose’s condition is not currently known.

ALTERNATIVES TO YEW

Idaho Fish & Game recommends a number of shrubs that can be planted instead of yew.

These Idaho native evergreens are non-toxic and can tolerate at least some shade:

• Western sword fern
• Oregon box-leaf
• Curl-leaf mountain mahogany
• Russet buffaloberry
• Oakleaf sumac
• Oregon grape-holly

These Idaho native shrubs tolerate at least some shade, but are not evergreen:

• Syringa
• Woods rose
• Thimbleberry
• Oceanspray
• Mallow ninebark
• Rocky Mountain maple
• Golden currant
• Red flowering currant
• Common snowberry
• Red-twig dogwood
• Highbush cranberry/mooseberry