Meandering moose back in the wild

Provided by Fargo, N.D., Police Department

A moose that wandered into the courtyard of a hotel in Fargo, N.D., this morning was shot with a tranquilizer dart so it could be safely removed.

The animal spent some time in the courtyard of a Fargo, N.D., motel before it was tranquilized and taken to the woods.

By PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune

Last update: October 14, 2009 - 9:25 PM

A moose that calmly hung out in a Fargo, N.D., hotel courtyard for several hours Wednesday morning, munching on grass and leaves, was shot by a veterinarian with a tranquilizer gun and taken to a wildlife area, a witness and officials said.

The adult bull moose wandered into the U-shaped courtyard of the Mainstay Suites at 1901 44th St. S., said Police Sgt. Jeff Skuza. The animal's arrival was reported to police about 5:45 a.m., and it showed "no sign of trying to leave," Skuza said.

More than four hours later, the moose was shot "with a tranquilizer in the behind," said Mainstay sales director Kira Pederson, who watched the animal's capture unfold.

"He walked back and forth twice in the courtyard, then he finally laid down," Pederson said. "They shot him again to make him more sleepy. ... It took him a while to pass out."

The moose was then picked up with a front-end loader and taken to the Erie Dam Wildlife Management Area, northwest of Fargo, the N.D. Game and Fish Department said.

The moose has been marked with a large white "X" on each shoulder to warn hunters not to shoot it during the upcoming moose hunting season.

Greg Link, assistant chief of the Game and Fish Wildlife Division, said that the drugs used to tranquilize the moose remain in the animal's muscle tissue and could be harmful if eaten. Game and Fish officials expect the paint on the moose to wear off over time, and by next fall hunters will not need to worry about residual drugs in the muscle tissue.

"This was a good outcome," Link said of the capture, "but it doesn't always turn out that way. Immobilizing wildlife is risky for both the animal and people involved. In this instance, we are fortunate that everything worked out."

The sergeant said that the species' "size and temperament" make it "a significant public safety risk in an urban setting."

He said moose "will wander into town" a couple of times a year. The hotel is in a bustling retail section of Fargo, near the intersection of Interstate 29 and Interstate 94, that includes lodging, restaurants and shopping.

Police used a number of vehicles to block off the open end of the courtyard, Skuza said, keeping the moose contained.

A couple of hours into the unregistered guest's stay, Pederson reported that the moose was "just fine and calm. It's just eating the grass and the leaves on the one tree we have out there."

Pederson said the 127-room hotel was about 75 percent occupied. She said guests whose rooms face the courtyard were asked to draw their shades and not peek out as a precaution against agitating the moose.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482