Young moose no longer on the loose

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/09/2017 (3167 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

wfpslideshow:443460813:wfpslideshow

The moose is no longer on the loose.

Fans on their way to the annual Banjo Bowl game at Investors Group Field between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders were greeted to an unexpected delay Saturday after a roaming moose led police to blockade Chancellor Matheson.

Wildlife conservation officers, with the assistance of police, successfully tranquilized the moose, they said was a calf. It was first seen walking through the streets of Fort Garry Friday.

Police responded to reports the moose had been sighted around IGF at noon, Const. Rob Carver said. Between arriving on scene and 2:45 p.m. police assisted conservation officers in what Carver described as “a very fluid situation.”

“Fans tailgating around the stadium — please be cautious of a moose on campus. Conservation officers are on scene! #LooseMoose,” the Winnipeg Blue Bombers tweeted. Football fans on their way to the stadium for the 3 p.m. kickoff also posted photos of the moose running around the U of M’s Smart Park.

Police and the Manitoba Conservation Officers’ Association tweeted around 2:30 p.m. that the animal had been tranquilized and fans would be able to get to the stadium shortly.

“It was a calf, but still a very large animal. We certainly couldn’t have people walking into Investors Group Field with a moose running around,” Carver said.

Blue Bombers president CEO Wade Miller said the police were in charge of closing the intersection.

“There’s nothing we can say (to fans inconvenienced). I got nothing for you… just another day at Investors Group Field, Banjo Bowl. Not a big game. Not a lot of people coming. Just another day.”

In addition to the tranquilizer gun used by the conservation officers, police also had rifles drawn in the event the tranquilizer gun failed and the moose charged.

Carver added that the guns would have only been used as a last resort for the safety of officers and any potential bystanders.

There was no immediate information about where the moose came from and how it got loose.

 

— With files from Mike Sawatzky