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Moose shot as police fear for safety of public
Animal felled while heading toward airport
Gwendolyn Richards, Calgary Herald
Published: Wednesday, July 30, 2008
An errant moose that wandered around several city neighbourhoods was shot by police Tuesday afternoon after posing a "danger" to the public as it crossed Deerfoot Trail and encroached on the airport.
Fish and wildlife officers had tried several times to tranquilize the adult female moose, but were unsuccessful over the course of the chase.
"When we originally went out on the call, our hopes were to be able to get close enough to the critter to immobilize it with drugs," said district fish and wildlife officer Tom Biglin.
"Unfortunately, it did not follow that way."
Biglin was notified just after 7 a.m. as the moose wandered around just east of Nose Hill Park. About four hours later, Calgary police were called to assist as the moose moved into the Huntington Hills area.
"She was moving around pretty good," Biglin said.
From the residential neighbourhood, the animal travelled into a grassy field just north of Beddington Trail where police and wildlife officers congregated to try to deal with the moose.
At that point, there was significant concern the animal would try to cross Deerfoot Trail, putting passing motorists at risk.
"Moose are very large animals. If you've ever seen an accident involving a moose, it's not a pretty sight," Biglin said.
Police officers were poised to stop traffic on the busy highway and traffic was shut down briefly when the moose finally bolted across both north and southbound lanes, jumping over the cable fence in the median.
At that point, said duty inspector Frank Farkas, the safety concern turned towards the Calgary International Airport.
"We felt the animal posed a danger to the public and to the airport air traffic, so we had to utilize one of our snipers from the tactical unit to put down the animal," he said.
With a single shot, the moose was felled as it made its way up a hill on the east side of Deerfoot Trail towards the airport.
The three-hour police call, which used resources from three districts, as well as the tac team, was not a "normal type of call," Farkas said.
"Animals will encroach on urban areas," he said.
"Unfortunately, in this case, we had to take these steps to deal with the animal so it didn't present any further danger to the public," he said.
In his two years working in Calgary, Biglin has dealt with about a dozen moose calls in the city.
It is unclear exactly how the moose made its way into the residential areas.
"Calgary has lots of green areas," Biglin said.
By the evening, the moose had been processed and meat was to be given out to the needy, Biglin said.
"At least, this critter's life is not going to waste," he said.
Animal felled while heading toward airport
Gwendolyn Richards, Calgary Herald
Published: Wednesday, July 30, 2008
An errant moose that wandered around several city neighbourhoods was shot by police Tuesday afternoon after posing a "danger" to the public as it crossed Deerfoot Trail and encroached on the airport.
Fish and wildlife officers had tried several times to tranquilize the adult female moose, but were unsuccessful over the course of the chase.
"When we originally went out on the call, our hopes were to be able to get close enough to the critter to immobilize it with drugs," said district fish and wildlife officer Tom Biglin.
"Unfortunately, it did not follow that way."
Biglin was notified just after 7 a.m. as the moose wandered around just east of Nose Hill Park. About four hours later, Calgary police were called to assist as the moose moved into the Huntington Hills area.
"She was moving around pretty good," Biglin said.
From the residential neighbourhood, the animal travelled into a grassy field just north of Beddington Trail where police and wildlife officers congregated to try to deal with the moose.
At that point, there was significant concern the animal would try to cross Deerfoot Trail, putting passing motorists at risk.
"Moose are very large animals. If you've ever seen an accident involving a moose, it's not a pretty sight," Biglin said.
Police officers were poised to stop traffic on the busy highway and traffic was shut down briefly when the moose finally bolted across both north and southbound lanes, jumping over the cable fence in the median.
At that point, said duty inspector Frank Farkas, the safety concern turned towards the Calgary International Airport.
"We felt the animal posed a danger to the public and to the airport air traffic, so we had to utilize one of our snipers from the tactical unit to put down the animal," he said.
With a single shot, the moose was felled as it made its way up a hill on the east side of Deerfoot Trail towards the airport.
The three-hour police call, which used resources from three districts, as well as the tac team, was not a "normal type of call," Farkas said.
"Animals will encroach on urban areas," he said.
"Unfortunately, in this case, we had to take these steps to deal with the animal so it didn't present any further danger to the public," he said.
In his two years working in Calgary, Biglin has dealt with about a dozen moose calls in the city.
It is unclear exactly how the moose made its way into the residential areas.
"Calgary has lots of green areas," Biglin said.
By the evening, the moose had been processed and meat was to be given out to the needy, Biglin said.
"At least, this critter's life is not going to waste," he said.
Other moose incidents
- June 2007 - After a five-hour chase, police cars barricaded a stretch of Arbour Lake Road N.W. as five members of Alberta Fish and Wildlife tranquilized a moose, which was later released northwest of the city.
- October 2004 - A moose on a seven-hour trek through the communities of Applewood, Abbeydale, Pineridge and Monterey Park had police and provincial wildlife officials scrambling to keep the animal and the public safe. The moose was eventually hit with a tranquilizer dart and relocated.
- July 13, 2001 - Police and conservation officers swooped in after a bull and a cow moose were seen running in the northwest community of Citadel. The 270-kilogram beasts were shot with tranquilizers and safely relocated northeast of Cochrane a few hours later.
- July 12, 2001 - For the second day in a row, Calgary police herded a moose on the loose back into Fish Creek Park after it was found wandering close to a busy intersection near Canyon Meadows Drive and Macleod Trail during the morning rush hour.
- June 2007 - After a five-hour chase, police cars barricaded a stretch of Arbour Lake Road N.W. as five members of Alberta Fish and Wildlife tranquilized a moose, which was later released northwest of the city.
- October 2004 - A moose on a seven-hour trek through the communities of Applewood, Abbeydale, Pineridge and Monterey Park had police and provincial wildlife officials scrambling to keep the animal and the public safe. The moose was eventually hit with a tranquilizer dart and relocated.
- July 13, 2001 - Police and conservation officers swooped in after a bull and a cow moose were seen running in the northwest community of Citadel. The 270-kilogram beasts were shot with tranquilizers and safely relocated northeast of Cochrane a few hours later.
- July 12, 2001 - For the second day in a row, Calgary police herded a moose on the loose back into Fish Creek Park after it was found wandering close to a busy intersection near Canyon Meadows Drive and Macleod Trail during the morning rush hour.
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