That time a moose came to town. And a lot of other times, too

As the weather warms, the citizens of the Soo are generally keen to escape to the wilderness for a change of pace. Some of the wildlife seem to decide to trade places and come into the city to experience the bright lights and excitement. Perhaps they are as interested in us as we are in them.

Stories abound of the antics of moose visiting the city. Just last year a moose locked through at the Canal National Historic Site. Unfortunately, that animal’s visit to the city did not end well, but most of these majestic animals escape back to their natural habitat after a scenic tour.

In August of 1961 a young moose which had broken its leg had to be euthanized by city police at the courthouse. The moose ended up there after exploring parts of the downtown. The moose was first noticed by Earl Longarini who was surprised to find it on his lawn on Albert Street, across from the police station. After a rest on the lawn, the animal turned west and even with a broken leg, “it travelled with the speed of a gazelle. “

In May of 1967, one headline read, “Moose Invading Sault.” A moose was sighted behind the Group Health Centre on McNabb, on Tilley Road, and two at Black Road and McDonald Avenue. With so many sightings, children had to be warned by the media not to be chasing them, and their unpredictable nature was proven when Sault Star photographer Mike Brauer was charged by a mother moose who had appeared quite docile while grazing with her calf.

September 1972 saw a wild moose chase involving city police, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The chase started at 9 a.m. at the government dock where the moose was taking a dip in the St. Mary’s River. The animal then swam to Bellevue Park and had a brief rest on Topsail Island before heading back into the river.

Officials were concerned that the moose could be hit by a freighter and attempted to get it to make landfall with their boats. Eventually, it retreated into the forests of Sugar Island.

More excitement was to happen in June of 1973. Capt. J.J. Yacoback was peering out the window of Number 3 Fire Hall at 4 a.m. when a moose trotted by. The moose spent the majority of the day touring the city with sightings on Knox Avenue, Grand Boulevard, Bruce and Wellington, and Albert Street. At around 3 p.m. it was last seen behind the Plummer Memorial Hospital, then swimming across the river to the U.S., evading the large ships as it went. Wildlife management officer Ed Mantle was always, “three long jumps behind her.”

Perhaps the wildest moose chase occurred on May 16, 1980.

A two-year-old female moose darted around a large portion of the east end of the city with four or five cruisers in hot pursuit. It was first spotted nibbling the grass in front of Precious Blood Cathedral at 6 a.m. Later in the morning, the frightened creature even jumped through a large front window of the Speed-Wash Laundromat on Trunk Road, leaving a mess of bloodied broken glass in its wake.

Carl Punkari, who was opening the National Cash Register saw it all happen and reported to the Sault Star.

“It was going wild. It came galloping across the parking lot, decided to go in for a wash, jumped back out through the window again and took off.” This local moose soon gained international fame when the story made it onto the front page of the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. The story did become embellished, however – the female moose was described as a bull, using its horns to terrorize the city.

Another intrepid moose came into the city on May 19, 1981, to explore another Soo landmark – Algoma Steel. According to Ron Haley, an electrical trainee at the time, the moose “was slipping on the slime and falling flat going up and down a gully. Security guards tried to get it out through Gate 4.” Unsurprisingly, many steelworkers took extended coffee breaks to watch the action unfold.

Some moose, instead of just visiting, have decided to make their visits more permanent – one such moose took up residence on Seagull Island in October of 1978.

Protected from hunters on the U.S government property, the island was a safe haven in some ways but many Sault Michigan residents were concerned the animal would run out of food in such a small space. Biologists reassured the public that the moose was safe with abundant red willow and poplar. Indeed, the moose made the island it's home until late October of 1979.

After its departure, Herb Michaels, a lock master with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stated, “We all miss her. She always came out for the boats going through the locks and the people at the locks saw her almost every day.”

Another moose was reported to have paid an overnight visit to Whitefish Island in August of 1978.

Tired after a quick tour of the city it ate and rested on Whitefish. A tour boat in the river, listed heavily to starboard as tourists all rushed to see the animal. And this moose was not foolish.

Richard Bull, age 14, and Kevin Sheridan, 10, spotted this moose running down Andrew Street.

“It looked like a smart animal,” said Kevin. “It stopped at the corner when the light was red and looked both ways before it ran across.”

Moose have also arrived in our city as orphans. In June of 1967, a two-week-old calf was found wandering alone in Lake Superior Park.

After a short stay in town, the little moose named Bullwinkle Jr. was loaded on a plane bound for Toronto and its new home at Riverdale Zoo, much to the relief of conservation officials who were being inundated with moose concerns that year.

May of 1990 saw a new orphan moose get sent to the city and take up residence temporarily in Bellevue Park.

Animal attendant Rod Montgomery spend countless hours and lost a great deal of sleep trying to keep the young animal alive.

Despite the hard work, Mr. Montgomery reported to the Sault Star, “I am enjoying it. It’s one of the best experiences a person could have.”

A few weeks later, Bullwinkle was joined by another orphaned moose which was named Rocky. The two quickly bonded and became like brothers. It appears to have been a happy ending for these two – they were released back to the wild on Rowe Island. A place free of predators and hunters, and most importantly, far from the city lights.