CALGARY – A wild moose that ran loose across downtown Calgary has been caught, tranquilized and removed back into the wilderness according to police.
The calf, about the size of a small pick-up truck, attracted wary onlookers and laughter as it gave chase to police and wildlife officers.
According to Darren Cave, a duty inspector with the Calgary Police Service, the moose was first seen near Memorial Dr. at around 11:30 Thursday morning. It then made its way eastbound into the downtown core, stopping at the Calgary Tower before running against the traffic on 9th Ave. SW.
"We tried to make sure we didn’t spook the moose, which can be detrimental to its health," he said. Instead, wildlife officers followed the animal to a parking lot at the corner of 9th Ave. and 9th street, where it was tranquilized.
"There’s lots of wildlife in the northwest corridor. We figured it came from out of town," he said, adding that he’d yet to hear of a moose making it so far downtown.
The animal, who may have been referred to as "Bullwinkle" over police scanners, was tired but healthy when it was apprehended. Wildlife officers have taken the creature back up Highway 20 and will stay with it until it recovers.
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