Police blame onlookers for moose's death

Why would it be fatal to tranquilize the animal? This was wrong.

It was wrong for the people to be so frickin stupid. Leave the animal alone and let the profesionals do their jobs

Now the police can keep protesters of both political conventions blocks away from said conventions and we are talking alot of protesters but local police cannot kep locals away from a moose?

Maybe they better be replacing policemen.

How horrible for the Moose AND her babies...I'm so angry that people cannot have the decency to back off when police and animal control officers are trying to do their jobs. Have the never seen a fricken moose before?! Seriously, I am totally outraged that a beautiful animal had to be put down because of people's stupidity, and now her calves might die too! Tranquilizing an animal shouldn't kill it either, it should be done in a way that the animal is sedated for a few hours until they can get her moved to where she needs to be, along with her babies.

Wendy wrote:

How horrible for the Moose AND her babies...I'm so angry that people cannot have the decency to back off when police and animal control officers are trying to do their jobs. Have the never seen a fricken moose before?! Seriously, I am totally outraged that a beautiful animal had to be put down because of people's stupidity, and now her calves might die too! Tranquilizing an animal shouldn't kill it either, it should be done in a way that the animal is sedated for a few hours until they can get her moved to where she needs to be, along with her babies.

I believe something in their genetic makeup makes them very suseptible to tranqualizers. Same goes for horses. Draft horses need very, very, little sedative compared to a normal horse....odd, but that's the way they're made.

Where's Sarah Palin when we need her? If they were still campaigning in Michigan she could have humanly shot it from a helicopter...

american's TIC TIC

People, they act like the only important thing is what they need to satify their own needs. Disregard what is happening, I'm just glad it wasn't someone standing on the bridge ready to jump, those people probably would have yelled jump so they could video it for a chance to sell it.

Good idea, blame the people, don't blame anyone that should have ben in charge. Sounds like the baby siter should be fired.

Yes blame the people. Don't blame those who should have ben in charge. Sounds like we should fire the baby sitter.

Sedateing an an animal that large is hard to do. Also, if she wandered out into the brush and rocks before going down, then what? How do you get her back into an opening? Drag her? Umm,,,,ouch.

The poeple should have backed off, and let the officers try to move her out of town on her own legs.

Perhaps the townsfolk should consider paying additional tax or donations to raise the two calves to adulthood. Otherwise the wolves will get them in the wild.
Are there any adopt a moose programs in Michigan?

Hunter wrote:

Sedateing an an animal that large is hard to do. Also, if she wandered out into the brush and rocks before going down, then what? How do you get her back into an opening? Drag her? Umm,,,,ouch.

Right. I am certain that nobody has ever safely sedated a moose....they were likely justified in killing it, to prevent the possibility that the tranquilizer might have not gone well.

How can you be so thick headed. IF the tranquilizer didn't work, THEN put the animal down.

One choice had several potential outcomes...and at least one of those potential outcomes included keeping the animal alive and with its babies. One choice did had only one potential outcome....a dead moose and two orphans.

Any chance these cops were called in from Battle Creek

internet troll wrote:

<quoted text>
Right. I am certain that nobody has ever safely sedated a moose....they were likely justified in killing it, to prevent the possibility that the tranquilizer might have not gone well.
How can you be so thick headed. IF the tranquilizer didn't work, THEN put the animal down.
One choice had several potential outcomes...and at least one of those potential outcomes included keeping the animal alive and with its babies. One choice did had only one potential outcome....a dead moose and two orphans.
Any chance these cops were called in from Battle Creek

I completely agree with you. It would be the same as saying, "Oh look- your foot is infected. We could try an antibotic which may not work, or chop your foot off. Hmm, lets see.. Why don't we just chop the foot off?"

As beautiful of a sight it must have been, the public needs to be more aware of how fragile wild animals can be. The mother started to panic with everyone closing in and all she wanted to do was protect her babies, wake-up society.

not gunna lie but i would most likely be one of those people trying to get a look at one. im not sure that if anyone knew that the moose was going to die that they still would have stuck around.

Allegan Redneck wrote:

Where's Sarah Palin when we need her? If they were still campaigning in Michigan she could have humanly shot it from a helicopter...

yes, but Obama's wife would have looked at it, and "uglied" it to death....and THAT is suffering.

People it is a moose-an animal. At least it was not something of value...like say a lawyer or a hampster. Just kidding-this is too bad, but some of you act like the local dog catcher is supposed to whip the tranq gun from behind the seat of his car and "handle" the situation...I'll bet that these towns are not set up for a moose on the loose. And should they be? Not a good use of tax dollars. How long did this take to happen? 15min or 10 hours? It makes a diff...

I'm disgusted with the residents and authorities of Ishpeming! With other options of resolving the incident between the moose and the residents stalking it, the absolute WORST one was chosen.
Shame on all of you, it's disgusting. You don't deserve to live among Nature's creatures.

Begotnot wrote:

Yes blame the people. Don't blame those who should have ben in charge. Sounds like we should fire the baby sitter.

Sounds to me very similar to what happens with an accident on the freeway with the rubberneckers. They are so busy craning their necks to see that they don't watch where they're going and end up in accidents themselves. Plain and simple, they don't think.
In this case they didn't bother to think about the reaction of a wild mother with babies. This was NOT a zoo animal which is used to having humans around. People were putting themselves at risk leading to a hasty decision to kill the animal in order to protect the people. Wild mothers will protect their babies from perceived threats.