MANTUA, Utah, Jan. 12, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A bull moose who ended up on the wrong side of a highway fence was rescued before he chanced freeway asphalt.
“Hitting a big game animal while traveling highway speeds is never good – especially if it’s a moose,” the state Division of Wildlife Resources said Thursday online in posting a short video of the encounter with the moose, which sported mature antlers.
“We recently moved an 800-pound adult bull moose off of the highway in Sardine Canyon. We were able to tranquilize the moose near Mantua and relocate him to the Hardware Wildlife Management Area where he’ll be much safer!”
The division thanked the Utah Highway Patrol and the Mantua Police Department for its help closing U.S. 89 while the moose was pursued, shot with a tranquilizer dart and pursued again as it continued jaunting closer to Mantua before the dart took affect. “A huge thanks to all of the motorists for their patience that day as well!”
Troopers and police also joined in hauling the unconscious, darted moose to a trailer for its trip to Hardware east of Hyrum, in Cache County, formerly known as Hardware Ranch.
The video shows at least ten “fully-growed” men were needed to haul the near half-ton beast to the trailer.
