TWEEDSIDE, N.B. – One New Brunswick community is in mourning after losing an unusual neighbour.
Over the last few weeks, a moose had been spotted walking along the main road in Tweedside, just outside of Harvey, New Brunswick. Residents say the moose was tame and friendly, walking right up to people and even posing for pictures.
Beatrice Messer and her neighbour Carl Veil met the animal Tuesday morning at the community mailbox.
“So we walked, slowly up a few feet, and we stood there, and the moose started walking towards us. So we stood there and it came towards us, no intimidation. We were respectful of it, but he put his nose out and Carl reached and touched his nose and petted him, and I did as well, and got some awesome pictures of him,” Messer said.
Messer says the moose looked healthy, with shiny eyes and glossy coat.
But last night, Department of Natural Resources officers got a different call – the moose was lying in the middle of the road. Dwayne Sabine, a wildlife biologist with DNR, says rangers tried to move the moose away.
“The animal wouldn’t even get up. It was quite obviously sick. Not just tame, but it was sick.”
Rangers thought the moose suffered from Brainworm, a common disease for deer and moose. It can cause animals to become tame, but soon they start walking in circles, becoming disoriented and lethargic.
“It’s 100 per cent fatal when they get to that stage of illness. There’s nothing that can be done,” said Sabine.
Neighbours say they understand the decision, but they’ll miss their new friend.
“I’m upset. I can understand DNR’s doing away with it, because it was lying on the road and becomes a hazard to traffic,” said Veil.
“I’m very sad today,” said Messer. “When I found out this morning that he was gone, you’ve made a connection. You meet someone and you make a connection and it’s a sad day. And I fully respect what the rangers have to do; it’s not an easy job. But I just wish he’d had a second chance.”
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