Hoofed ‘special visitor’ seen strolling through drop-off line at MA elementary school
Elementary school students in Massachusetts got to see a “special visitor” at their school the day before Halloween, videos show.
A massive moose strolled through the car drop-off line at a Rutland school the morning of Oct. 30, photos and videos posted to social media show.
“Special visitor in the Naquag Elementary School drop-off line this morning!” Rutland Police said on Facebook, along with a photo of the moose and some tips on how to stay safe around the ungulates from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
“Never try to approach or pursue a moose. Pursuit not only stresses the animal, but it adds the risk of having a moose chased out into traffic or into a group of bystanders,” the post says. “Wildlife professionals recommend letting the moose find its way out of populated areas and into nearby forested areas.”
That appears to be what the moose did. It had already left the area by the time police posted the photo, officials said.
Several people commented on how cool it was to see the moose in a spot as populated as the school.
“Such a beautiful animal,” someone said. “Really surprising they come that close to a busy area.”
A staff member took video of the moose as it ambled along the sidewalk leading to the school’s playground, WCVB reported.
“Holy cannoli that is crazy,” someone said in a video shared by the station.
The worker who captured the video told the station those at the school were “in shock.”
What to know about moose
Moose are protective animals and will defend their territory and their young.
If someone encounters a moose, they should give it space to leave, wildlife officials said. People shouldn’t try to haze a moose to move out of the way.
Wildlife officials said people should do the following if a moose charges:
Run away quickly
Put a tree, rock or other large object between them and the moose
Get up quickly if knocked down
Report the incident to wildlife officials as soon as possible
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