An orphaned moose has been seen hanging around the Airport area of Fernie, causing conservation officers to be concerned.
The female calf’s mother was killed by a train near the Cokato Road railway crossing in summer.
She has been seen off and on all summer and conservation officer Frank de Boon said she has become increasingly brave as she has become more accustomed to humans.
“We are trying to discourage her from getting any closer to people,” he said. “She has been spotted in back gardens and that is really not a good thing. There have been reports of her charging people and animals.
“It will become increasingly dangerous as she ages and has calves.”
“We tried rubber bullets on Monday but they didn’t have a lot of effect. But we will continue to harass her for a while in the hope she gets the picture.”
De Boon warned people not to approach her and definitely not to feed her.
He said the calf appeared healthy and well fed despite being orphaned and estimated she weighed around 300 lbs.
“She looked healthy,” said De Boon. “We hope to encourage her to move to the park area out of harm’s way.”
If you spot the moose, call Conservation Officers at 1-877-952-7277.