ESTEVAN - Wildlife seeking food and shelter keeps attracting the attention of local people, conservation officers, police and firefighters.
This week, Estevan fire crews responded to two moose-related calls for service.
On Monday at about 2 p.m., firefighters were called to assist conservation officers with moose relocation in Hitchcock. The animal was tranquillized and then loaded on a trailer, moved away from the village and released into the wild.
Another moose found its way into Estevan on Wednesday. At about 12:30 p.m. fire crews were called out and then put on standby as the moose was on the go in the Pleasantdale area just off Hillcrest Drive. It was important to let it slow down first before anything could have been done to it.
“We went in to assist the Estevan city police and the conservation officers with loading and relocating this particular animal into the same wildlife sanctuary location south of Macoun,” said Estevan Fire Chief Dale Feser.
“Everything went well. It was great to work with some other partnering agencies that we don't normally get a chance to work with a lot. It's always good to know that we can always count on each other to help out during these times.”
He added that conservation officers first observe animal’s behaviour, assess the situation, and depending on how close a moose gets to homes, how heavy the traffic is and if there is a way for the animal to leave on its own, they make a call on whether or not the animal needs to be tranquillized and relocated.
Feser also reminded the public that with wildlife coming into the communities more often now, it is important to keep in mind that those are not domesticated animals and can be really dangerous.
“Just to give a real big word of caution as we are seeing the increased sightings and frequency of wildlife that are entering into the city limits. Especially with moose, very large animals, so you definitely want to keep your distance away from these animals. Do not approach them. These are not petting zoo animals. They will charge at you if they become feel threatened. Just keep your distance and notify the Estevan police or RCMP or the conservation officer Ministry of the Environment, report the location of the animal, and they'll come in and monitor the situation and see if it’s going to move out of the city on its own or if it is going to have to be relocated,” Feser said.
