Keene police guided a large moose out of downtown Sunday, according to Sgt. Mark Cotton.
Cotton said the department got several calls about the moose that morning. “People were trying to go on their Sunday walks and seeing this large animal,” he said.
Police officers’ goal was to get the animal out of downtown, where it posed a risk to people and to itself, Cotton said.
Moose can be aggressive when they feel threatened and are capable of seriously hurting or even killing people, he said.
On Facebook, police asked people to give the moose a wide berth, and they used cruisers to push the animal to Water Street and then Roxbury Street, where it entered the woods near the water treatment facility, according to Cotton. By the time Fish and Game officers arrived, it was out of the area.
Cotton said it’s not uncommon for police to be called upon to remove moose from public areas, especially at this time of year.
Early to mid-autumn is mating season for moose, making both bulls and cows more active as they look for a partner.