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The Williston Police Department posted this picture of one near a school. They later wrote that the animal made it safely out of town.(Williston Police Department)<\/p>\nBISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Early morning shoppers usually look for the best deals, but workers near Bismarck\u2019s Gateway Mall spotted a customer looking for something a bit more wild. <\/p>\n
A moose is more at home in the woods than at a shopping center, yet one found itself at the Gateway Mall early Thursday morning.<\/p>\n
The four-legged creature gave quite the scare to Emme Leigh, who was working the graveyard shift at her job. She spotted the female moose while doing her nightly security check around the hotel, an encounter that was definitely \u201ca-MOOSE-ing,\u201d to say the least, at 3 a.m.<\/p>\n
Out of her peripheral vision, she watched a massive shadow \u201choof it\u201d into view.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought it was a cow at first because it was so big. So I had to get my phone out, like, zoom in. And then I saw the elongated head,\u201d said Leigh. \u201cAnd I was like, \u2018Wow, that\u2019s a moose.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
In this video she took, you can see the visitor casually wandering around the parking lot, taking in the sights.<\/p>\n
The Williston Police Department posted this picture of one near a school. They later wrote that the animal made it safely out of town.<\/p>\n
The Williston Police Department posted this picture of one near a school. They later wrote that the animal made it safely out of town.(Williston Police Department)<\/p>\n
North Dakota Game and Fish said moose often follow natural corridors in search of food and resources. They also say these \u201cmoose-on-the-loose\u201d incidents can happen pretty often this time of the year, particularly for males.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s coming up on their peak breeding season,\u201d said Levi Jacobson, assistant wildlife chief. \u201cSo a lot of those younger males are out looking for a mate, so they\u2019re covering ground, and they\u2019ll find themselves in town occasionally.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said moose can be particularly aggressive when in breeding season, and they are not safe to approach out in public.<\/p>\n
\u201cGive them their space and don\u2019t get too close to them,\u201d said Jacobson. \u201cBut most of the time they\u2019re harmless, and they don\u2019t want to be in town any more than we want them in town. So they\u2019ll move out on their own typically.\u201d<\/p>\n
Game and Fish received reports of her making tracks through the Bismarck, and they suspect she will find her way back home.<\/p>\n
It reminds everyone that if you spot a moose in city limits, the best move is to steer clear, give them plenty of room and let them find their way back to nature.<\/p>\n
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