HAILEY, Idaho — A cow moose and her infant calf have been relocated after the mother fatally injured a pet dog in a Hailey neighborhood earlier this month.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game began receiving reports from Hailey residents about the moose and her baby just before the July 4 holiday. Biologists were concerned that the moose was likely to become aggressive towards anyone who got to close to her calf, and worried that fireworks set off on Independence Day could add to her stress.
Fences, the airport, and the highway also cut the pair off from being able to easily reach the Big Wood River, Fish and Game says.
"A moose in a neighborhood can be exciting to see. However, a moose taking up residence and birthing a calf in a neighborhood backyard can be extremely dangerous to residents and pets," Fish and Game wrote in a release. "To keep wildlife "wild", they should not be encouraged to live within our communities."
The cow moose ultimately attacked and killed a dog that got too close to her calf, officials say.
A team of nine wildlife biologists came up with a plan to capture and move the cow and calf, heading into the neighborhood during the early morning hours of July 3. The crew wanted to avoid darting the adult moose during the hottest part of the day, or the time when activity in the neighborhood was at its peak and residents could be harmed.
The team was able to dart and sedate the mother moose in a backyard, with permission from the resident. Her calf stayed nearby and was easily captured, IDFG says.
The pair was then loaded into a horse trailer and transported to the Silver Creek area, where they were released near a creek.
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