Moose falls off cliff, dies during capture attempt near Costco

TWIN FALLS, Idaho — An adult cow moose died on Thursday, falling off a cliff to her death after being darted by biologists as the agitated animal ventured close to a Costco, wildlife officials said.

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According to a news release from Idaho Fish and Game, the moose was spotted in Twin Falls after wandering out of Snake River Canyon.

Conservation officers from the Magic Valley Region, along with officers with the Twin Falls City and the Twin Falls Sheriff’s Office, kept tabs on the moose during the early hours of Sept. 14 to keep the “highly agitated moose” from crossing city streets and entering the Blue Lakes business district.early morning rush hour traffic was just hours away.

Officers had to wait until sunrise to dart the moose and administer anesthetizing drugs to sedate her before relocating the animal, KTVB reported.

After the moose was darted, the animal quickly ran west down a walking path along a canyon rim, wildlife officials said in the news release. The moose, under the influence of the drugs, ran off the walking path and tumbled over a rocky cliff onto Canyon Springs Road, where she died, the Idaho Statesman reported.

“Often when we have a moose in an urban setting the stress level of the animal is very high as it tries to find a way out,” Mike McDonald, regional wildlife manager in the Magic Valley Region, said in a statement. “Urban environments also present many challenges to our staff as we make every effort to safely dart wildlife while keeping the public safe. Unfortunately, there are times when even our best efforts are not enough.”

Wildlife officials said the meat of the dead moose could not be salvaged due to the type and dosage of the drugs that were used to immobilize it.