The routine relocation of two moose in Calgary came with a twist.

A moose cow and yearling were removed from the northwest Calgary community of Scenic Acres by Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services (FWES) on Wednesday.

“Both moose were reported to be acting aggressively toward people and pets,” the province said in a statement. “Because of the risk to public safety, FWES officers decided to relocate them.”

“While moose usually avoid people, these animals were not reacting to human presence, which increased the chance of someone being injured,” the province said.

But upon her capture, identification details on the adult female’s orange ear tag revealed she wasn’t new to the neighbourhood.

The mother “had previously been relocated from the same area” to the Harold Creek wildlife corridor, approximately 50 kilometres outside of Scenic Acres, last January alongside her calf, the province said.

Last year’s relocation happened after the mother moose charged at a dogwalker who walked between her and the calf, according to the province.

Naturalist Brian Keating says he’s “not surprised” the cow was able to find her way back to the same community and once again establish herself there with a calf after being relocated.

“Animals in general do have a tremendous ability to find their way back,” he said. “And when you think about it, moose are the ultimate four-wheel drive. They’ve got long legs, they can travel long distances.

“The joy of this part of Canada is that we have river valleys and waterways, and basically those are a way of moving long distances without having to cross highways.”

The province says the moose and calf were relocated farther away this time, to an area near Sundre, about 80 kilometres outside of Scenic Acres.

“Both animals recovered quickly and moved off into the area without injury,” the province said. “Officers hope relocating them farther from Calgary will prevent them from returning.”

Moose surprisingly common in the suburbs

Calgary residential communities have long been frequented by moose, especially areas on the outskirts of the city.

“Our suburbs are creeping closer and closer to the wild areas around town,” Keating said. “And as soon as we put people in these wild areas, you can expect that there’s going to be wildlife investigating the landscape.”

According to iNaturalist, a citizen science website where people can track sightings and observations of wildlife worldwide, there have been more than 300 reported observations of moose in Calgary and the immediate area since 2020.

Rosanne Fortini-Burrows, a longtime Scenic Acres resident who’s lived in the community since 1989 and in Calgary for more than 60 years, first encountered moose in the city a couple years ago.

Seeing the two moose regularly in her neighbourhood, and up close whenever they visited her front lawn, was “just such a great experience,” she said.

When Fortini-Burrows saw FWES vehicles with the tranquilized moose in tow, she was dismayed.

“I haven’t seen any bad moose behavior honestly, except for them destroying trees,” Fortini-Burrows said. “I haven’t seen them do anything except eat people’s, and sit on, their front lawns, and that’s it.”

The province says “moose can be dangerous, especially when they become used to people, are near calves, or are in urban areas where vehicle collisions can occur.”

It’s recommended that people avoid approaching moose, and keep dogs on-leash when around wildlife.