Lost moose rounded up in Searsport Yearling bull herded into trailer for rescue

SEARSPORT – A young moose on the loose Friday created a bit of excitement on Brock Road.

The yearling bull spent the better part of three hours gamboling and lounging in the yard of Everett Gilmore before a group of neighbors helped a wildlife rescue expert from Vassalboro herd it into a horse trailer for a trip to a facility in New Sharon.

“It was pretty exciting,” said Gilmore. “Sort of like a horse roundup.”

Added neighbor Ed Gotham, “It was nice of the moose to come by for a visit.”

The excitement began when Amie and Kenny Moores of Belfast spotted the bull walking on the road across from the Gilmore residence and decided to call for assistance.

“He was walking right down the middle of the road, so we figured we better call the cops,” said Amie. “We didn’t want him to get hit by a car.”

The Moores managed to get the moose onto Gilmore’s yard and out of danger by the time acting Police Chief Mark Pooler arrived. While Kenny Moores started petting and feeding the moose some grass, Pooler made sure it did not run off.

“Goal number one is to keep it out of the street,” Pooler said.

While there was some speculation that the moose may have been the offspring of a cow moose that was hit by a car and killed last week, animal control officer Raymond Tucker said that was unlikely. He said moose normally go off on their own after the first year.

Tucker borrowed a horse trailer. Once the animal rescuer arrived, the group encircled the moose and herded it up the ramp.

“It was a little bit of a scramble on the lawn, but eventually there was enough people to surround him and get him into the trailer,” Pooler said.

The moose was to be taken to a New Sharon facility, where it will be checked by a veterinarian. Pooler said the animal appeared to be underweight and that he was surprised that it seemed “so tame.”

Pooler escorted the moose and trailer out of town.

“He drew quite a crowd at the East Side Big Apple when they stopped for gas in Belfast,” Pooler said. “People were climbing on the trailer to get a look at him.”