A Moose Killing

I once thought I saw a moose where I was growing up many years ago. I was probably about 10 years old and riding my bike. One of my usual destinations was at this old abandoned bridge which was pretty isolated and it was very rare to run into anyone else there. I'd always skip rocks or just watch the water flow along and underneath the bridge. I was attempting to ride down this small hill and at the bottom was the bridge. But what I then saw stopped me in my tracks. It was a moose - a large, menacing creature grazing on some tall grass. I was still far enough away that I was in no danger. But still, it scared me silly and I booked it out of dodge. But nowadays, I'm not sure if that event really actually happened. I'm only half-convinced that I saw that moose and it more than likely was a dream. The reason I say this is because there had been no reports of moose being sighted from anyone else in the area. Sure, the area where I grew up was very rural - but there are houses within the immediate area from where I "saw" the moose. It's not like it would've been missed by anyone else driving or walking through. That was the only time I allegedly seen a moose and no one else in the area has ever spoken of seeing a moose - so I am not sure if the animal even exists within the area where I grew up. So you can see why I might be skeptical as to why that event even happened.

The reason why I bring this story up is because a moose sighting created a big stir in one Upper Peninsula community yesterday. Ishpeming, Michigan is a town of about 6,000 people located in the central U.P. A moose and her two young calves were spotted in and around the town. Moose make their appearances from time to time in Upper Peninsula communities so it's not uncommon for these kinds of events to occur. It's not like the area is overran by moose and they are actually pretty rare here. But they are around and when one is spotted, it definitely creates a lot of local buzz. They are amazing creatures but also very large. If they get angry enough, they can easily kill a person. It's something I learned early on from school - that animals such as moose are very unpredictable, especially when around their young. It's best to try and view them from a safe distance and at the very least, leave the scene so as to not disturb the animal. From the sounds of it, this did not happen during the moose sighting in Ishpeming yesterday. And unfortunately, it ended in one moose being killed.

The Ishpeming City Police Department and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources made a decison to have the mother cow killed after the animal became agitated and stressed from being ran about town. The police claim they were trying to direct all three moose out of town, only to have their efforts hampered by throngs of spectators trying to get pictures of the moose. At the time the police and DNR took the initiative to have the animal put down, the mother cow was separated from her two young. The two agencies claim tranquilizers would not have worked in this situation because the animal was so large and transporting it would've been extremely difficult. The moose was already distraught and they felt the tranquilizers would've only caused it to overheat and die. Also, because it was on the move, it would've been very difficult for a tranquilizer to take effect unless it was completely still. They wanted to avoid a possible safety issue and avoid a moose/human interaction, so they decided to shoot the animal down. That is one decision that is not sitting well with very many local residents today.

The city of Ishpeming's Police Chief is pointing the finger at the public for the untimely death of the moose cow. He blames the public for following the three moose and causing the mother to be ultimately disoriented. Here is a quote from him from the local newspaper: "In the end, all this moose was trying to do was to get away from the people who were chasing it and reunite with its calves," said the Ishpeming Police Chief. "We would not have had to kill that cow moose if the public did not act like the paparazzi chasing it around like it was some type of Hollywood movie star. I may have given the order to shoot it, but I hold the public who were chasing it responsible for its death, and the ultimate deaths of the two abandoned calves that will not survive without their mother." But the public is pointing the finger at the Ishpeming City Police and the Michigan DNR. If the moose was to die anyway, then why not try the tranquilizers. Or simply, let the animal do what its natural instincts allow it to do. I realize there's a chance that it could end up being killed by a car or encountering the public in one of the local neighborhoods, but the animals need to be given their space and eventually they will leave. It has happened in other local communities here, so I don't understand why it couldn't have occured in this instance. Instead, the animal was chased and proded by the police and the DNR. Sure, the crowds of onlookers probably did not help matters, but the police could've done a better job of crowd control. Call in nearby police departments for back-up if that's the case. All in all, this whole situation could've been handled a lot better than it was. Now, it has practically an entire community in an uproar.

This story is even getting attention from one of the major statewide newspapers - the Detroit Free Press. It is currently the top news story on their website. Many people are calling for the firing of the Ishpeming City Police Chief for making this decision and some residents of the town are even going so far as to saying they are embarassed to be living where they live because of what has happened. I am sure those who live in the more urban areas of our state - and if this story catches on nationally - will think we're nuts for making a big story out of this situation while their major news headlines involve murders, the financial crisis, and major accidents. But the truth of the matter is, a story like the moose killing IS a big story around here because murders are rare and other stories you see in major metropolitan areas do not occur. Heck, moose sightings in towns and cities is a rare thing, too. The killing of a moose because it was becoming a "safety issue to the public" is an even more rare event. From the sounds of it, this news story isn't going away anytime soon.

For ongoing updates involving the moose killing in Ishpeming, please visit these local media websites: WLUC-TV6.com and The Marquette Mining Journal .