GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Wildlife officials say a moose that wandered onto the University of North Dakota campus should not have been drugged.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department wildlife chief Jeb Williams says his agency did not recommend immobilization and relocation because of the possible health hazard to humans who might eat the moose.
The moose found its way into a football stadium Tuesday morning. It was tranquilized by campus police and officials from a North Dakota zoo and moved out of town.
Williams says the technique is popular with the public, but not a responsible solution. He says the withdrawal time for the anesthetic and antibiotics will extend into the archery hunting season. Twenty moose licenses have been issued for the area.
UND police Lt. Danny Weigel says campus police believed after consulting with wildlife professionals that tranquilizing and relocating the moose was the best option.