In Tuscany, the moose aren’t loose – they’re just around the corner

(video via Henry Kimodn)

From the walking path along a ravine to people’s backyards, a moose and her calf have been spotted all over the northwest neighbourhood of Tuscany and are essentially regular residents of the area.

The animals have often been seen in the 12 Mile Coulee ravine which aligns with Stoney Trail and are often filmed in people’s backyards, rummaging on trees and bushes.

Keith Sidwel was walking along the path a couple of weeks ago.

“We stopped and said whoa, there’s a moose,” he said. “We took a photograph, and then we walked back along that way.”


(image via Keith Sidwel)

Sidwel said it’s a fact of life that many communities include wildlife and as long as residents keep their distance, he’s fine with the moose being so close.

“I’m okay, and later on when the headline is Tuscany man massacred by moose right after interview about moose, you can say that I’ve withdrawn my opinion,” he said with a laugh. “But at the moment, I’m cool with it.”

Residents say the pair have been around for around a year, with Yianni Mavrikos seeing them in the winter.

“They stood there for a very long time,” he said. “Having two big huge moose just walking in behind your backyard is pretty awesome, so you just stay back and just appreciate where you’re living.”

(video via Yianni Mavrikos)

Not all interactions have been free of fear, however, as Alyssa Dyck and a friend were walking along the path from the ravine, seeing them to the side.

“We kept walking, and we heard it starting to move around so we turned to look and it had its head down and was pawing the ground, then started walking a little faster towards us,” she said. “We had to run away out of the coulee.”

Fish and Wildlife relocate animals several times a year if there’s a concern for public safety and even less common is putting an animal down.

Animals can be attracted to garbage, fruit-bearing plants and other food sources in people’s yards, so homeowners are encouraged to make sure their yards are clear.

If an animal has to be moved out, aversive conditioning can include approaching with vehicles and using noisemakers.

Dyck says despite the scare, it’s enjoyable to have wildlife so near, so long as residents keep their distance and that they don’t encroach too much.

But part of the appeal with these moose is just how close they’ve been getting, as Henry Kimodn took video of them as they were eating shrubs in a backyard.

“The mom is one side, and the mom is on the other side of the house,” he said. “For me personally, as long as they don’t hurt the moose and the moose won’t be aggressive to the people around.

“It’s really fantastic.”

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