'The most Canadian thing I've ever seen' takes a dark turn
It can either be a spectacular or very terrifying sight to see a moose alongside a highway as the majestic creatures often cause deadly crashes, especially in northern Ontario. And recently police had to make a difficult choice after a stubborn moose refused to leave a busy highway.
The Nipissing West detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police was notified about a traffic hazard at 8:11 a.m. Oct. 2 involving a moose that was approaching vehicles on the highway causing a public safety concern, OPP Const. Rob Lewis told CTV News in an email.
Bailey Badgerow told CTV News she and her family were travelling down to a popular Christmas-themed amusement park in Bracebridge that morning when they saw a moose trotting beside a provincial police cruiser down Highway 69 south of Sudbury.
Moose appears to get police escort down Highway 69. Oct. 2/21 (Bailey Badgerow)
Badgerow, of Espanola, said when they saw the flashing police lights, they thought there might be an accident, and the southbound traffic stopped for a minute. When the traffic started flowing again slowly, they saw what looked like a moose getting a police escort down the highway.
OPP said officers tried to get a moose off the road in Burwash as it was endangering motorists. Oct 2/21 (Bailey Badgerow)
"It was the most Canadian thing I've ever seen. (The police car) literally looked like it had a leash on (the moose) and it was just following along," she told CTV News.
Moose trots behind OPP cruiser on Highway 69 south of Sudbury. Oct. 2/21 (Bailey Badgerow)
She said her family was excited to see a moose so close up as they had only seen one once before in a remote part of the bush.
"It was definitely a sight to see," Badgerow said.
She captured the sight on video and as of Wednesday afternoon, the video has over 350,000 views on YouTube after being picked up by a video monetization service.
She said she hasn't seen any money yet from the licensing of her video.
Lewis also said OPP and members of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) responded to an animal complaint on Sept. 30 concerning an aggressive moose on Secord Road in Burwash Township, south of Greater Sudbury.
"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."
So two days later, when police got the call about the moose on the highway in the same area, it was believed to be the same animal.
"OPP attended the area and used all known methods to remove the animal off a major highway. However, the animal remained on the highway creating a dangerous situation (for) motorists. Due to public safety concerns the animal, unfortunately, had to be dispatched," Lewis said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in "all public spaces," marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.