Moose gets stuck in railroad, rescued with crane

Varshal Shah/AP
A moose on railroad tracks in Ludlow, Vt. A moose that was stuck on an active railroad bridge in Vermont was removed and relocated with minimal injuries, according to state fish and wildlife officials. Local game wardens and wildlife biologists, with assistance from the Springfield Fire Department and a crew from the Vermont Rail System, sedated the moose and picked it up with a railroad crane truck.
Warden Kyle Isherwood/AP
Local game wardens and wildlife biologists sedate a moose that was on railroad tracks in Ludlow, Vt. A moose that was stuck on an active railroad bridge in Vermont was removed and relocated with minimal injuries, according to state fish and wildlife officials.

PUBLISHED: January 23, 2020 at 10:58 p.m. | UPDATED: January 24, 2020 at 3:58 a.m.

How do you unloose a moose before it gets run over by a caboose? A crew of game wardens, firefighters, biologists and railroad workers had to figure that out in Vermont and, thankfully, they were successful.

According to a video posted by the state’s Fish & Wildlife Department, a moose was reported stuck on an active railroad bridge Wednesday morning, sending the diverse team of professionals into action. They sedated the moose with a tranquilizer gun, loaded it onto a big sling, then picked up the sling with a crane and brought the estimated 700-pound moose onto a railroad car.

Local game wardens and wildlife biologists sedate a moose that was on railroad tracks in Ludlow, Vt. A moose that was stuck on an active railroad bridge in Vermont was removed and relocated with minimal injuries, according to state fish and wildlife officials.

Once they got the moose to a safe place, they simply waited until it could get back on its feet and watched as it walked away with what the department said were “minimal injuries.” Check it out:

The post goes on to note that this kind of rescue isn’t really part of the Fish & Wildlife Department’s mission, and that because of the risk to both animals and humans, it’s very rare to see and often not successful. This moose got a bit lucky, so maybe next time it wants to catch a train, it’ll buy a ticket just like everyone else.