A Moose Is Hanging Around Ontario's Highway 417 & Police Are Telling People Not To Stop
Is that Elliott Moose on the loose?
This just in: in some truly Canadian news, Ontario Provincial Police have warned drivers about a moose that's chilling near Highway 417.
On April 5, OPP's North East Region shared on Facebook that their Nipissing West and Manitoulin detachments were getting a lot of calls about a moose that's hanging out by Nairn Centre off the major provincial highway.
According to police, drivers are stopping their vehicles either on or nearby the highway to snap a pic of Canada's mascot or take a video of the wild animal.
Some have even tried to feed the moose with apples, police say.
"These are large, unpredictable wild animals and can create a dangerous condition if they approach motor vehicles on the highway, causing a traffic hazard and a public safety concern," the social media post reads.
Ontario police then reminded drivers to avoid stopping for these animals when they're on the side of the highway.
There are some tips on what to do when you see a wild moose on the road, according to Canadian Automobile Association in Southern Ontario (CAASCO).
While drivers should typically resist the urge to swerve around an animal that's roaming on the road, moose might be an exception.
"A direct blow could take out its knees and send it crashing through your windshield," the article reads.
Steve Brown, a research associate at the Traffic Injury Research Foundation previously told CAASCO that drivers "should consider aiming for the animal's hindquarters, striking it [at] an angle."
Narcity reached out to the OPP for additional information but didn't immediately hear back before this article was published.