Bold moose crashes northern Ontario shed hangout, gets OPP highway escort a week later
Recently, a northern Ontario man and his friends were hanging out in his shed on a Saturday night when a large moose came to join the party. The encounter was captured on video.
Jacob Rintala said the wild animal showed up about 10 p.m. at his shed on a farm in Wanup, just over 20 kilometres south of Sudbury.
"It was my first encounter with the moose. He came to say 'hi' and stuck around my farm for the rest of the weekend," Rintala told CTV News.
He said the animal was not aggressive at all and even let Rintala pet it several times.
Petting a moose in northern Ontario
Morgan Kerekes, a spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, told CTV News in an email it is difficult to estimate age based on the video, but the male moose's antler development would suggest it was a yearling or up to two-and-a-half years old.
"(It) stuck around all night. I left (the shed) at 3 a.m. and he was (there). (It) went to greet my dad at the front door of his house in the morning. He then went to lay down in the field beside the river for the remainder of the day," Rintala said.
Several behaviours exhibited in the video indicate the animal may have been infected with brain worm, which is often fatal.
"A moose infected with brain worm could be this bold and unafraid of people. Moose become infected when they eat snails or slugs infected with brain worm larvae while feeding on vegetation," Kerekes said.
Signs of brain worm infections in moose vary but can include:
- toe-dragging or stumbling, disoriented behaviour, walking in circles
- extreme weakness
- loss of fear of humans
- weight loss
- remaining in a small area for an extended period of time
- inability to stand up
"All ages of moose can be infected, but younger animals are generally affected more," Kerekes said.
She confirmed Rintala's belief that it is the same moose that was seen getting an Ontario Provincial Police escort a week later on Highway 69.
OPP and Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry officers responded to an animal complaint on Secord Road in Burwash Township about 30 kilometres south of Rintala's property on Sept, 30, Const. Rob Lewis told CTV News.
"The moose was charging its head, both into a motor vehicle and a seasonal residence causing property damage and safety concerns to the public," Lewis said. "The MNRF attended and was able to scare the animal away from the property rather than dispatching the animal."
Then on Oct. 2, OPP was called about a moose in the same area that was creating a danger to motorists on the highway by refusing to leave the roadway.
An Espanola woman recorded the sight and the video got a lot of attention online.
Unfortunately for the moose in the most recent video, police made the difficult choice to dispatch it in the interest of public safety.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Life got in the way of one woman's reunion with her father, but a DNA test gained her a family
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
NEW Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Quebec Health Department reports 28 cases of eye damage linked to solar eclipse
Quebec's Health Department says it has received 28 reports of eye damage related to the April 8 total solar eclipse that passed over southern parts of the province.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.