TRAFFIC HAZARD: #Hwy417 EB b/t Holly Acres and Greenbank #Ottawa – 2 lanes closed. Emergency services attending. ^jt
The Ministry of Natural Resources confirmed that its officers shot a young moose that wandered onto Highway 417 in the middle of the Thursday morning commute.
Jolanta Kowalski, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry said officials consulted a veterinarian and, given the extent of the animal’s injuries, a decision was made to euthanize it.
Kowalski said officials could not ensure that the animal wouldn’t try to take off on what appeared to be a broken leg if they shot it was a tranquilizer dart.
The threat of a large injured animal running through a heavily trafficked area, coupled with its injuries, warranted euthanizing the animal, she said.
The male animal was spotted at about 6:30 a.m. on the shoulder of the eastbound lanes.
The moose was surrounded by police and provincial vehicles to shelter it, severely affecting the morning commute.
Natural resources officers arrived at the scene shortly before 8:30 a.m.
The Queensway was closed about 15 minutes later, as they apparently prepared to remove the animal.
The animal was shot at about 9:20 a.m. Traffic in both directions on Highway 417 reopened by about 9:40 a.m.
Westbound traffic was reopened about 15 minutes later.
Motorists began flooding Twitter and other media with spottings at about 6:30 a.m.
The animal appeared to have an injury on one of its front hooves.
By about 7 a.m., the moose was tracked down and surrounded by OPP squad cars and provincial transport and natural resources vehicles between Bayshore and the Pinecrest exit.
Traffic delays continued all morning.
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