'Bullwinkle is going to stomp somebody'

[BEB]

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/sto...tegory=Strange
'Bullwinkle is going to stomp somebody'

last updated: 10:23 p.m., Monday, February 12, 2007

SANDPOINT, Idaho -- Stop chasing the moose. That's the message police in this north Idaho city are trying to convey to residents and visitors. During the past few weeks, the Sandpoint Police Department has received dozens of phone calls each day reporting moose inside city limits -- and of area residents chasing after them, Police Chief Mark Lockwood said.

Lockwood said residents are currently sharing the city with about three to five moose. Finding the animals at lower elevations isn't uncommon in the winter months, when deep snow at higher elevations drives animals to lowlands in search of food.

"When these animals roam into the city, they can become frightened and disoriented, making them more dangerous than if they were encountered in the wild," Lockwood said.

One woman pushing a jogging stroller recently chased after a moose in an attempt to photograph it, with a pack of people close behind.

If things don't change, Lockwood said police may have to cite residents for "molesting wildlife."

"Do not approach any moose, even if it seems quiet and gentle," Lockwood said. "If approached repeatedly, even by the best-intentioned onlookers, it may become aggressive. Sooner or later Bullwinkle is going to stomp somebody."

[Rhino]

Follow up:

Standpoint authorities have called in two experts to eliminate the moose problem.