Schenectady moose relocated to southern Adirondacks

PHOTOGRAPHER: Photo Provided

The female moose takes off into the Adirondacks upon relocation after wandering through Schenectady County.

SCHENECTADY — A moose spotted wandering through Schenectady County in recent days has been relocated, the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation announced Monday.

The female moose, described by the agency as a “young cow” weighing 500 pounds, was released somewhere in the southern Adirondacks after it was “immobilized” by wildlife officials after wandering into a fenced-in backyard in the city’s Woodlawn neighborhood last week, according to the agency.

“Immobilizing a large animal is a risky endeavor and is reserved for when it is truly a last resort and the situation is ideal for the welfare of the animal,” the agency tweeted. “This was the case last week when the moose ended up in a fenced-in backyard in Schenectady.”

The moose was first spotted on May 6 wandering through the Stockade neighborhood in the early morning hours, according to Schenectady police. The animal was later spotted in Niskayuna along Aqueduct Road and Hillside and Providence avenues.

Officials from DEC’s Region 4 Bureau of Wildlife and Division of Law Enforcement were called in to tranquilize the animal, which “remained calm,” according to DEC.

“Moose infrequently travel into cities in the Capital Region. When they do, the hope is always that they reverse course and find their way out on their own and to not have to be removed,” the agency said in a statement.

The animal was fitted with a yellow tag for identification purposes before being released.

DEC said the moose was found in a shaded area and temperatures were not too hot, a concern when sedating large animals like bears and moose, which often lose the ability to regulate their body temperatures when sedated in warm temperatures.

Video of the release shows the moose springing from a trailer and running into a wooded area.

Contact reporter Chad Arnold at: 518-410-5117 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @ChadGArnold.