Thursday, March 8, 2007
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/
Boy, 11, eludes charging moose
by GORDON HOEKSTRA and SCOTT STANFIELD Citizen staff
An 11-year-old boy walking to a bus stop was chased by a moose Wednesday morning in the Blackburn area, but managed to escape to safety.
The Prince George Conservation office is warning the public to be on the lookout for the moose, which chased the boy near the intersection of Blackburn Road and Midland Road.
Conservation officer Gary Van Spengen said when the moose started to chase the boy, he went back to his driveway where the school bus rolled in and picked him up. The moose then chased the bus for a bit, said Van Spengen.
It's the second report of an aggressive moose in the past two weeks.
A woman was attacked by a moose near Pinewood Elementary school Feb. 22, when she and her dog came upon a cow moose and two calves.
Marilyn Penner credited her dog, Purdy, for saving her life. The dog had to be put down because of injuries sustained in the attack.
A letter to The Citizen criticized conservation officers for not responding to an early-February complaint of the same moose. But senior conservation officer Bob Coyle said the moose was not dealt with because the call centre recorded the complaint as a moose sighting.
"We don't respond to moose sightings," Coyle said. "Had the complaint said 'aggressive moose in area,' certainly we would have responded to that and dealt with it.
"As a matter of course, if we get a complaint of an aggressive animal, whether it's a bear or a moose or deer, we always respond," he said. "We always go and assess the situation, and if we feel that it's a situation where there's some public safety issues then we'll deal with it. Oftentimes that's destroying the wildlife."
In the Blackburn case, the moose did not appear to have calves, said Van Spengen.
It's possible the moose was aggressive as a result of stress from a hard winter, and possibly from ticks, although it's early for that, added Van Spengen.
He said it's a good idea for people to leave any area where they see moose.
A conservation officer searched the Blackburn area Wednesday morning but could not locate the moose.
Anyone who spots the moose is asked to contact the conservation office at 1-877-952-7277. (moose hotline)
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/
Boy, 11, eludes charging moose
by GORDON HOEKSTRA and SCOTT STANFIELD Citizen staff
An 11-year-old boy walking to a bus stop was chased by a moose Wednesday morning in the Blackburn area, but managed to escape to safety.
The Prince George Conservation office is warning the public to be on the lookout for the moose, which chased the boy near the intersection of Blackburn Road and Midland Road.
Conservation officer Gary Van Spengen said when the moose started to chase the boy, he went back to his driveway where the school bus rolled in and picked him up. The moose then chased the bus for a bit, said Van Spengen.
It's the second report of an aggressive moose in the past two weeks.
A woman was attacked by a moose near Pinewood Elementary school Feb. 22, when she and her dog came upon a cow moose and two calves.
Marilyn Penner credited her dog, Purdy, for saving her life. The dog had to be put down because of injuries sustained in the attack.
A letter to The Citizen criticized conservation officers for not responding to an early-February complaint of the same moose. But senior conservation officer Bob Coyle said the moose was not dealt with because the call centre recorded the complaint as a moose sighting.
"We don't respond to moose sightings," Coyle said. "Had the complaint said 'aggressive moose in area,' certainly we would have responded to that and dealt with it.
"As a matter of course, if we get a complaint of an aggressive animal, whether it's a bear or a moose or deer, we always respond," he said. "We always go and assess the situation, and if we feel that it's a situation where there's some public safety issues then we'll deal with it. Oftentimes that's destroying the wildlife."
In the Blackburn case, the moose did not appear to have calves, said Van Spengen.
It's possible the moose was aggressive as a result of stress from a hard winter, and possibly from ticks, although it's early for that, added Van Spengen.
He said it's a good idea for people to leave any area where they see moose.
A conservation officer searched the Blackburn area Wednesday morning but could not locate the moose.
Anyone who spots the moose is asked to contact the conservation office at 1-877-952-7277. (moose hotline)
