Young moose euthanized over fears it would cause crash: department

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A young moose wandering the south side of Fredericton was euthanized Tuesday evening, deemed a danger to traffic, according to the Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development (NRED).

But officials can’t say if it’s the same young one that was seen meandering the city’s north side earlier in the day.

Department spokesperson Nick Brown said staff and Fredericton police officers led the moose to a wooded area near Bishop Drive, but young moose returned to the street. Fearing it would cause a crash with vehicles, he said officers put it down.

Brown said moose generally tend to try to avoid confrontations with people, but do sometimes end up in residential areas from time to time.

“When a report of a moose in a residential area is received, NRED staff assess the situation to determine if there is a public safety issue,” Brown wrote in an email. “If a public safety issue exists, the first action considered is to encourage the animal to leave the area on its own, by herding or scaring the animal toward a less-populated, wooded area.”

A young moose was spotted wandering the north side of Fredericton Tuesday morning, with reports it had swam across the river, but Brown said officials were unable to confirm if it was the same same animal euthanized later that evening.

Brown said it’s not uncommon for a young moose to be pushed away from their pregnant mother. He said this would be done in the spring as the mother prepares to give birth to a calf.