The wild moose chase in Muenster may officially be over.
A conservation officer tranquilized the moose late Thursday morning, after locating the animal in the Saskatchewan village’s west side. The moose, which has been roaming Muenster for the past week, was then transported to a farm about eight kilometres south of the community and released.
Rose Haeusler, an administrator with the village’s office, said Wednesday a previous attempt to chase the moose out of town was unsuccessful. Conservation officers were in the community last week, she said.
“They did chase it out of town, and the next day it was back again,” she told CTV News.
Community officials were concerned the animal posed a risk to the safety of residents and their pets, according to Haeusler.
Darcie Anderson, who captured several photos of the animal over a several-hour span Tuesday morning, said some residents, including herself, avoided walks in the village because of the moose.
The animal visited her yard four times Tuesday, despite residents’ attempts to scare the animal away.
“It was a little bit closer than I would have liked to have seen it. It’s pretty surreal when you’re looking at it,” she said.
The conservation officer who released the moose said Thursday the animal is alert, but he noted the drugs take some time to wear off.
He said he hopes the moose returns safely to its habitat.
