Moose relocated after hair-raising adventure in Blue Mountains and Collingwood

A moose on the loose in the Blue Mountains and Collingwood areas over the past few days caused a bit of a stir in those communities.

Beginning on Sunday, social media lit up with videos and photographs of an animal that is rarely seen in those parts. After sightings were reported in Heathcote on Sunday afternoon and Thornbury and Clarksburg that evening, the animal made its way to Collingwood, where police reported on Tuesday it was safely captured to be relocated further north.

A Ministry of Natural Resources spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday that the moose in Collingwood was safely removed from the area and relocated to public land in north Simcoe County.

“As it’s fall breeding season, bull moose often travel long distance in search of mates, which can sometimes bring them into communities and other developed areas,” Mike Fenn of the MNR’s Communications Services Branch said via e-mail. “Although moose are known to occur in north Simcoe County and areas further north, sightings in the Collingwood area are uncommon.”

Images shared on social media on Tuesday showed police and others gathered around a moose laying at the water’s edge on what appeared to be a drag sled.

Fenn said the moose was chemically immobilized by MNR staff and successfully relocated to the Victoria Harbour area, where it continues to be monitored.

There are currently no plans to capture or relocate the animal from the Victoria Harbour area, he added.

That is the same area where there have been recent media reports of a cow and calf moose who had become separated from each other, but appeared to have again found each other.

Collingwood Mayor Yvonne Hamlin, who shared a video to social media someone took of the bull moose “about 20 steps from where I live,” said on Wednesday afternoon that the moose sightings began about two days ago in the town.

“I was quite interested to see the waterfront amphitheatre being explored by our visitor,” said Hamlin.

The first sightings Hamlin heard of came from the south end of the town, where the moose was spotted walking down a street.

“Very unusual sight for Collingwood,” she said. “I would say it was a mix of excitement, wonder and fright, because moose are very big.”

The mayor said they have a lot of connected green spaces in the town, primarily along its five rivers that flow into the bay, and that could have allowed the animal to make its way northward to the water mostly undetected.

“I could see easily how he could get from down there in the south end to Georgian Bay where there is water, a lot more trees and nice breezes,” said Hamlin.

While millions of visitors come to the community each year to see its waterfront and other sights, Hamlin said this is the first visit by a moose she is aware of in recent memory.

“I have to say as mayor, I am not at all surprised that a moose would take interest,” she said with a laugh. “Just one of many.”

Collingwood didn’t appear to be the only stop for the antlered visitor as social media posts contained images and video of a moose in Thornbury and Clarksburg and further south in Heathcote on Sunday. The MNR believes it was the same animal as the one captured in Collingwood, Fenn said.

Taylor Erikson posted a video of a moose walking down a street in Thornbury on Sunday evening.

When reached by the Sun Times on Wednesday, Erikson said his sister actually spotted the animal and shot the video while out for a work break with a friend. Erikson said the sighting took place off Huron Street near the Port Tavern, which is located just up from the harbour.

The Central Region of the OPP issued an advisory just after 9 a.m. on Tuesday about the moose in Collingwood, referring to the animal by the name Elliot.

Elliot Moose was a popular children’s picture book series written and illustrated by Andrea Beck in the late 1990s and early 2000s that was later turned into a television series of the same name.

The OPP advised the public to be aware of their surroundings and exercise caution if they encountered the animal. They asked the public that dogs be kept on a leash at all times, not to approach or feed the moose and to maintain a safe distance, giving the animal plenty of space to move freely.

“Moose are wild animals and can be unpredictable if they feel threatened,” the post read.

At 1 p.m. on Tuesday, police provided an update announcing the moose had been safely and successfully captured and was being relocated to a suitable habitat farther north.

Collingwood and the Blue Mountains OPP thanked the MNR for their assistance and expertise in ensuring the safe capture of the animal. The public was thanked for their cooperation and understanding as well.