A footloose moose called Emil, whose summer wanderings caused havoc on Austrian roads and railways, has been captured, sedated and released in a verdant nature reserve, leaving his legions of fans wishing him well on social media.
The approximately three-year-old male, believed to have come originally from Poland or the Czech Republic, rose to online fame in August with his chaotic odyssey through parts of Austria where moose sightings are rare.
Local authorities decided to take action this week when Emil appeared ready to jump a fence on to the A1 autobahn, posing serious danger to himself and motorists. Adult male moose, among the largest mammals in Europe, can reach a weight of 800kg (1,764lb).
“An accident – wildlife experts confirm – would have risked the lives of all involved,” the regional councillor who took the decision to catch and relocate the moose, Michaela Langer-Weninger, said.
Animal welfare officers, using drones and thermal-imaging cameras to track Emil, carried out the operation on Monday. He was tranquilised and gingerly lifted by eight firefighters into a transport trailer lined with straw.
He reportedly woke up slightly dazed during the journey to the Bohemian Forest. Emil was released into the Czech national park Šumava, where there is an existing population of about 30 moose. Upon arrival, the young bull began licking moss.
“To ensure Emil’s safety and to be able to track his future life in the wild, he is now wearing an ear tag with a GPS transmitter,” Austrian regional authorities said in a statement.
Emil became known as a Problem-Elch (problem moose) after repeatedly appearing in heavily populated areas and blocking roads, prompting blanket media coverage in Austria as the summer holidays wound down.
Two weeks ago, he occupied one of the busiest railway lines in the country by strolling into the embankment, halting traffic for four hours. He only budged when a locomotive advanced toward him at reduced speed.
Travellers began joking that any unexpected delays must be caused by the errant animal, reportedly named after Emil Zátopek, the Czech long-distance runner.
Images of the wilful moose grazing in a sun-dappled clearing, swimming in the Danube, gobbling apples straight from the tree, exploring a golf course and approaching the outskirts of Vienna captured the imaginations of Austrians.
As fanclubs popped up across social networks and an Emil Facebook group picked up 26,000 members, petitions surfaced calling for him to be left alone. However, authorities set up a Soko Elch (moose special taskforce) and called on the public not to take matters into their own hands.
Emil’s eventful trek had probably been primarily a search for shade and cooler temperatures, authorities said, as the late-summer weather in the region is generally too warm for moose.
“In the end, wildlife experts say everything went according to plan,” a spokesperson for the local agriculture office, Elisabeth Hasl, said of his placement in the Czech forest. “Now he can freely decide where he wants to wander next.”
Hundreds of social media users posted fond farewells and hopes that Emil would find a mate in his new home.
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