Watch: Cow moose safely relocated

The moose that had been wandering and perhaps sightseeing in the city on Friday and Saturday have been safely relocated. Sgt. Scott Kallweit, with Fish and Wildlife for the Calgary area, said that officers immobilized the animal on Saturday afternoon before transporting it out of the city.

"We originally had some reports [I believe] - passed along from the RCMP that there might have been a cow with a mature calf. But, when we were out there on Saturday, we only located the cow," Sgt. Kallweit said. "We haven't had any reports of the calf, so, we're not totally sure if that mature calf moved on, or if it found its way out to the city somewhere else."

On Friday, Airdrie RCMP alerted the public about the animals. RCMP noted that the cow moose and its yearling were in the area of Bert Church High School and R. J. Hawkey Elementary School.

(Videos provided by Shelby Gurke and Sylvie Laferriere))

Sgt. Kallweit said that often times when moose do venture into urban settings and fish and wildlife officers monitor their movements rather than immediately trying to corral them, as moose can spook easily and become quite anxious. As it turns out, the moose that visited Airdrie this past weekend seemed quite at home on people's lawns and backyards, at times lying down for some much-needed R&R.

According to the Sgt., it isn't that uncommon to see moose in urban settings as they enjoy safety from their natural predators in urban areas and are also known to enjoy some of the vegetation that residents have in their yards. However, Fish and Wildlife are reminding residents, that moose should not be approached, especially since the animals can cover a lot of ground quickly and can charge. Sgt. Kallweit added that some of the most common problems between moose and human conflict stem from when people walk their dogs too close to a moose.

"Moose don't differentiate our domestic dogs between their natural predators and so that's when we can see them show a heightened sense of defensive or aggressive behaviour," he said. "Giving them lots of space is critical."

When asked where the moose was relocated to, Sgt. Kallweit said that as 'the crow flies' the moose was relocated West of the city - approximately 100 kilometres away (driving distance). Though it is unlikely the moose will venture back to Airdrie, there is always a chance.