« Going viral | Main | Happy Birthday, America »
July 01, 2010
The moose is loose
the gift of the moose, originally uploaded by Steve took it.
Every now and then, you'll hear about a wild animal loose in the city. Here in Chicago, a coyote may find himself wandering the Loop, or a raccoon might take up residence at the Sears - excuse me, Willis - Tower. When I was in college, there was a famous lion which was supposedly running around Columbus. All these animals, of course, have reputations for being sly operators. Quick. Hard to catch. Wily, even. (Wham!) So, it seems kind of odd that a moose is wreaking havoc in Portland, Maine:
Portland police have been chasing a moose around the city Thursday.
The moose was seen taking a dip in a pond at Deering Oaks Park.
A News 8 viewer sent the station video of the animal cooling off.
The moose was last seen in Evergreen Cemetery, looking tired with its tongue hanging out, Portland police said. It headed into a wooded area.
State game wardens and state biologists followed the moose with police. The biologist tried to tranquilize the moose but was unsuccessful before it headed into the woods.
Whoah, this is one dangerous animal. Dipping into a pond? Having its tongue hanging out? Are you sure this is a moose and not a vampire?
How hard is it to catch a moose, anyway? Wikipedia offers no data about how fast a moose can run, but I can't imagine they're as nimble as their relatives, the deer.
entry no. 1480
Posted at July 1, 2010 05:02 PM
Comments
Moose are very dangerous - they're a lot bigger than you might think, and can easily stomp you to death. I've been to Denali National Park in Alaska twice and the guides there always say that if you're going to encounter an animal in the backcountry, you're better off with a grizzly bear than a moose. Grizzlies will usually shy away from humans (unless you're unlucky enough to come between a mother and her cubs) but moose are aggressive and ornery. True, this moose in Portland is probably more used to humans and is more docile, but it's still a threat.
Posted by: Pete at July 2, 2010 08:22 AM