WINDSOR LOCKS — Local leaders and residents are lambasting the state's response to a moose approaching Interstate 91 last month, saying there was more than enough time to move the moose to a safer environment before it had to be euthanized.
The moose, whom Windsor Locks residents had named "Muffin" after the popular children's book "If You Give a Moose a Muffin," was spotted in the area of the busy highway last week before being put down by Department of Energy and Environmental Protection officials.
DEEP officials euthanized the large animal in the interest of public safety, they said.
While residents and First Selectman Paul Harrington said that they understand why the moose had to be euthanized when it was, it never should have escalated to that point.
"It's an absolutely horrific scene," Harrington said, adding that there was "clearly enough time for DEEP to get an action plan to relocate this moose. ... I'm pretty (ticked) off. That moose didn't do anything. That moose was just living its life."
More For You
Harrington noted that this is the second moose DEEP has euthanized in Windsor Locks in recent months, as another was put down in June after it breached a fence at Bradley International Airport.
"They had plenty of months leading up to this second moose being in town to do something other than kill it," he said. "It's absolutely poor execution, poor planning."
The moose "became a resident of the town," Harrington said, adding that students at South Elementary School were excited to see it from their classrooms.
"I know they're upset. I know they're sad," he said of the students. "They've been sending many letters to DEEP demanding a change in what they do."
Resident Adam Ruff's daughter, Olivia, is among the South Elementary School students who are writing to state officials.
Ruff had to sit his daughter down and tell her that the moose she could see from school had been put down.
"It's more about the kids. They were upset. They really enjoyed it," he said. "It was nice to have around. It kind of gave you some sort of feeling like they're going to get established again, which obviously isn't going to happen."
Ruff said it was clear that the area the moose was routinely in was not going to sustain him for his lifetime.
"Something was going to happen," he said. "It had to go somewhere and it was in an area where they had plenty of time to relocate it or try to do something."
While DEEP argues the moose couldn't have simply been tranquilized so close to the highway, Ruff said the state could have tried to subdue it when it was in the woods or residents' backyards.
"I realize that doesn't always work, but it would have been better than just shooting it, putting it in a loader bucket, and hauling it away," Ruff said. "They had months of time to make a plan."
Resident Bill Stratton agrees that the state could've taken action sooner to protect the animal, "especially with all the kids that were watching it all the time at school."
Considering he saw the moose in the area for several months, DEEP had enough time to tranquilize it and move it safely, Stratton said.
"It was pretty much set up for failure because it was living in a block of woods that's obviously not made for a moose. It's a small patch of woods in the center of a suburban area," he said. "They knew damn well that thing was back in the patch of woods for months and they did nothing about it. That's what (ticks) me off. ... I think it's just laziness on their part."
Like Harrington, Stratton said that the residents were happy to have the moose in their community, and are now upset with it being put down.
"Everybody in town pretty much knew about it," Stratton said. "Everybody's in an uproar."
Harrington said that he is working with state legislators to hold a forum so residents can share their ideas for future moose sightings in town, and input will be shared directly with DEEP.
DEEP's reasoning
DEEP spokesman Paul Copleman said Tuesday that the agency's goal is "always to encourage wildlife to thrive in their natural habitats and coexist with people safely."
However, "moose roaming around residential neighborhoods are not a safety threat for people or moose, and given the habitat, does not necessitate relocating the moose," he said.
Tranquilizing the animal and relocating it "carries significant risks" for the moose as they do not have a high survival rate from tranquilizations, there may not be a suitable place in Connecticut to move them, and they are able to travel long distances, potentially finding themselves back to the area from which they were moved, Copleman said.
"It is also not possible to move moose to other states," he said.
Furthermore, tranquilizers don't take effect immediately on large animals and during that time, the animal could run into a road, causing "very dangerous public safety situations" that could result in the death of the animal and people, Copelman said.
He noted that DEEP routinely issues press releases to warn motorists about moose sightings near major roadways and attempts to divert moose from those areas when possible.
Regarding the moose near Bradley Airport, Copleman said that is posed a risk to planes and vehicles on Route 20.
"DEEP does not like to euthanize animals and we do not take these kinds of decisions lightly even in highly dangerous situations like moose breaching a perimeter fence of an airport or moving next to or on highly trafficked roads and interstate highways," he said.
March 6, 2024