Park reopens after moose shuts it down

By Tim Kalinowski on September 22, 2017.

tkalinowski@medicinehatnews.com @MHNTimKal

Medicine Hat Parks and Recreation is confirming Police Point Park has been re-opened to residents after an aggressive moose scare forced the temporary closure of the park Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We had consultation with Fish and Wildlife and the City of Medicine Hat bylaw officers before we made the precautionary decision to close,” explains superintendent of park operations Scott Richter.

“The reason for the initial closure is we had a rutting moose, potentially two in there, but one was being quite aggressive. He had some injuries from running around the city. That’s why we chose to close the park. We hadn’t heard anything more in terms of these animals the past few days. After consulting with Fish and Wildlife, we thought it would be OK to open the park back up again.”

Richter says residents should continue to be vigilant about wildlife in all city parks as they enjoy their recreational opportunities.

“You can come across wildlife in any of our parks; so people just need to be aware and conscious of that fact,” states Richter.

Chief park interpreter Corlaine Gardner agrees vigilance is key when it comes to wildlife, especially with bull moose this time of year.

“Medicine Hat is really fortunate we have a lot of wildlife around, and we can live with them, but we have to be smarter than they are,” says Gardner. “The bull moose is always dangerous in the fall. They just get really stupid when they are in the rut. They have one thing, and one thing only, on their minds, and they are willing to challenge anybody.”

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