CALGARY – A northwest Calgary resident was working in his garden Thursday morning when a moose ran through the property—allowing for some up-close-and-personal photography.
“I was gardening in the front yard,” said Karl Priesemann. “I heard a thumping, and I stood up, and she ran right between me and the house—like 10 feet away from me, right through the yard.”
Priesemann, who lives on Hounslow Drive N.W. in Highwood, ran into the house, asked his wife for the camera, and followed the moose a few blocks to McKnight Boulevard.
“She was on the grass in my yard. She meandered around the neighbourhood, up in people’s yards, on the sidewalk, nibbling on this and that. Very docile, very sweet animal.”
Priesemann said he was about nine metres away from the animal when he took the photo—but police and wildlife officers were already trying to tranquilize her.
“Police were keeping people fairly far away,” he said. “They didn’t want to startle her, get her running into traffic. As far as I know they’ve tranquilized her.”
“It’s never a dull moment in Calgary I guess, eh? You never know what you’re going to see.”
Brendan Cox, a spokesperson for Fish and Wildlife department, said officers were still on scene just after 3 p.m. attempting to remove the moose.
“My understanding is the moose has been fairly mobile, which can make tranquilizing it safely difficult,” he said in an email.
The moose had been safely tranquilized at around 4 p.m.
Three weeks ago, Scenic Acres Park was closed after a group of people reportedly approached a moose. No one was injured.
“It is good that no one was injured, but moose are large and powerful animals and can be quick to defend themselves if they feel threatened.”
Cox said people should report moose sightings to the Report A Poacher Hotline at 1-800-642-3800.
“If you encounter a moose, back away slowly and make your way to a more populated area or into a building,” said Cox. “Look for obstructions to put between you and the moose.”
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