'It was totally exhausted': Video shows moose seeking refuge in Saskatoon back yard
It isn't uncommon for Harvey Peever to spot rabbits and other small animals in the back yard of his Eastview neighbourhood home.
However, he got a shock when he headed into his kitchen Tuesday morning and glanced out the window.
"There he was in all his glory," Peever said on Wednesday.
"It was just this huge moose was just standing there, just a matter of metres away."
He said the moose seemed winded and its tongue was hanging out.
"He'd obviously been running around, trying to find his way out of the city," Peever said.
He grabbed his phone and began filming the moose. The resulting video can be viewed in the player above.
The moose was one of two that had found their way into the city. There was a heavy police presence in the neighbourhood as officers worked to corral the animals.
Peever said the moose hadn't gone unnoticed with the sound of barking dogs filling the air.
"I'm sure it was just frightened, you know. So it was pacing back and forth," Peever said.
He said a set of patio doors on his shed seemed to confuse the moose.
"I think he saw his reflection … and then he would pace back and forth again and have another look in his reflection."
Peever's encounter with the moose didn't end when it finally left his yard through the only gate.
"(Police) were sort of closing in on them in our back lane area and I went out just to see which direction he was going to go," Peever said.
Standing in his back lane, Peever saw the moose standing at a nearby intersection.
"He was just standing there and he was looking at me with his head down and tongue hanging out and I was hoping that he would stay there so that maybe the wildlife people could come and (tranquillize) him and haul him safely out of the city."
Instead, the moose headed back in Peever's direction.
"He decided it was safer to come towards me than the other lanes which were probably blocked by police cars," Peever said.
"Our eyes kind of locked and he just stood there staring at me, his head down. He wasn't threatening in any way. I think it was totally exhausted."
Peever said the moose then headed off towards a park.
"That's the last time I saw him."
Police were eventually able to round up the pair of moose with the help of conservation officers. They were transported out of the city for release.
Peever said he was struck by the great lengths so many people went to in order to help keep the animals safe.
"I was quite surprised that the police and the wildlife people were able to do that, Peever said.
"Now they're back in the wild. It's just a little bit of really, really good news."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.