Life on the wild side is a bit more rambunctious in Hartford.
A 600-pound bull moose spotted in Connecticut’s capital city was tranquilized Sunday and taken to an undisclosed wooded area, officials say.
The moose was quite comfortable in his urban surroundings, said Craig Segar, a Vernon, Conn., animal control officer.
“This one was going about his own sweet time,” he said. “He had no problem with people, no problem with traffic. He was just moseying along.”
Another moose — perhaps the same one — caused a stir last week in Vernon. It was first spotted Tuesday night, Segar said.
It may have swum or walked across the Connecticut River, depending on where it crossed, said Patrick Spalluto, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection.
“They are very adept swimmers,” he said.
The moose found in Hartford was first reported near the city’s Riverside Park along the Connecticut River at around 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
DEP officials tranquilized and later released him in a “suitable, distant wooded area,” DEP officials said. They did not disclose the moose’s new home.
Even with suburban sprawl, Connecticut is 60 percent forested, providing a habitat for bears, moose, turkeys and fishers.
Other animals, such as fox, deer, raccoon and coyote, have learned to cope with humans and suburbia and also are growing in number.
— Associated Press