WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) – State and environmental police in Worcester have shot and killed a 900-pound moose that had wandered into the city.

The moose was spotted early Tuesday morning near railroad tracks by a motorist on Interstate 290.

Police say they decided to shoot the moose, which was about 2 years old and weighed 900 pounds, because of its proximity to two highways, and because it was headed downtown.

Lisa Capone of the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs said police tried to get the moose to move in a safer direction before deciding to kill it.

She said it is the moose’s mating season, which can cause aggressive behavior.

Last year, state biologists estimated up to 950 moose live in Massachusetts, most in northern Worcester County.



Information from: Telegram & Gazette, http://www.telegram.com

AP-ES-09-30-08 1600EDT


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