Hungry 600-Pound Moose In Marlborough: Cow Captured, Removed

MARLBOROUGH, MA — A 600-pound cow moose that wandered into Marlborough over the long holiday weekend has been captured. State wildlife officials believe the moose entered Marlborough looking for food.

Marlborough residents began reporting the large mammal on Monday, with at least one sightinf of it walking through Ghiloni Park.

"Of course I got no pic, but definitely something I did not intend to see on my walk today. Got to share the moment with some girl scouts out hiking with me. Definitely made my week," Jennifer Christoph Bastien wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.

By Tuesday morning, the moose had moved southwest, and was spotted wandering through neighborhoods east of Maple Street along Essex Street. He was cornered and tranquilized by police around 9:30 a.m.

Resident Lindsay Alers captured this video of the moose wandering through backyards near Church Street:

State environmental police tranquilized the moose near the intersection of Shamut Avenue and Essex Street, according to Marlborough police.

Environmental police said the cow was moved to northern Worcester County.

"Biologists believe this cow moose was wandering through the area looking for new sources of browse (twigs and buds) to feed on during the winter thaw. Suburban areas are planted with an abundance of soft ornamental shrubs and trees which are rich in calories. These calories are much needed by breeding cow moose during a time when foods in more natural settings are not as available or abundant.

"Biologists believe this cow moose was wandering through the area looking for new sources of browse (twigs and buds) to feed on during the winter thaw," state officials said. "Suburban areas are planted with an abundance of soft ornamental shrubs and trees which are rich in calories. These calories are much needed by breeding cow moose during a time when foods in more natural settings are not as available or abundant."

There are plenty of moose living in Massachusetts, although they tend to avoid urban areas. In recent years, moose have been spotted multiple times in Worcester, and along the I-190 corridor. An approximately 700-pound moose was captured near downtown Worcester in September.

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