OPP forced to shoot wandering moose in Rockland

While police are responsible for handling matters of public safety, area police officers feel the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) should be responsible for handling large wild animals that venture into the city.

In a press release issued late last week, Ottawa Police Chief Vern White said police officers shouldn't be "going out and shooting wild animals."

White's remarks came after Russell OPP officers were forced to shoot and kill a large moose running wild in Rockland on Wednesday, June 13.
Police were called at about 5 a.m. to St. Jacques Street after a moose was seen running through backyards, damaging hedges and fences.

OPP Const. Carole Pirnat said officers did everything they could to find a tranquilizer gun, calling the MNR, the City of Clarence-Rockland bylaw officer and the Papanack Park Zoo.

"We called everyone we could think of who might have access to a tranquilizer gun," Pirnat said. "We couldn't get a hold of anyone at all."
Pirnat said by 6:30 a.m., the moose was in the schoolyard of Carréfour Jeunesse elementary school, where parents were beginning to drop their children off at daycare.
"We tried to chase the moose back to edge of town, to the bush, where it came from," she explained. "It just wouldn't go. Instead, it made its way further in to town. It was very agitated by this point and already causing damage. When it started heading toward the elementary school, we knew something would have to be done."

Fearing the moose would become more agitated and potentially cause harm to nearby children and adults, Pirnat said officers made the decision to shoot the animal.

"We do everything we can to try and redirect these animals away from the town, but in this case, our efforts failed," she commented. "At that point, it became an issue of public safety and officers felt public safety was at risk. So, the moose was shot and killed.
This was the third moose killed by area police in as many weeks. On Tuesday, June 1, a pair of young moose was spotted near an elementary school in Orleans.
Police shot one and the other escaped after attempts to tranquilize the pair failed.
On Saturday, June 12, just south of Hwy. 417 near St. Laurent Boulevard in Ottawa, police killed another moose when it became agitated after being cornered on a vacant lot.

Pirnat said police are often the first responders in incidents such as these, but it's the MNR that is "officially" responsible for dealing with wild animals loose in an urban area.

"People can call us anytime and we will respond," she remarked. "But, it's not really our job to be dealing with these matters and we certainly don't like to have to shoot animals. The MNR should be dealing with this. It's their area of expertise, if you will."

White concurred with Pirnat, stating the MNR is supposed to be responsible for these types of incidents. He said he doesn't want his officers tranquilizing or shooting wild animals and pointed out that often, police officers are not equipped with the high-calibre weapons required to carry out such a job.
"The MNR should be responsible for this," he said, noting that in Montreal a recent moose matter was handled by that province's natural resources ministry.

"That's the way it is supposed to work," White added. "I don't know that I want my police officers tranquilizing moose. I don't think it's a good use of fully trained police resources."
Jolanta Kowalski, a spokesperson for the MNR, said the ministry will provide expertise and advice in such incidents but its officials are not involved in the response.
She said they hope wildlife will be left alone and wander off. But if animals pose a threat, even if MNR were involved, the course of action still falls to police.
"The final decision is still up to police because it's a public safety issue," Kowalski said.