A moose has become a social media star in Vilnius. It spent the entire day on Tuesday wandering the streets of the capital, even stopping by a bank, before finally wading into the Neris River in a panic. Fortunately, firefighters on jet skis managed to chase it to Vingis Park. Naturalists are saddened by people's reactions - they say that taking pictures really scares wild animals.
The first reports of a moose wandering the streets of Vilnius began to pour in early Tuesday morning, but the rescue operation for the moose began only late in the evening, after it waded into the Neris River. This spectacle was also watched by a group of curious onlookers in the center of Vilnius.
"Our specialists simply accompanied him along the Neris River with the help of a jet ski, working together with police officers and other specialists who coordinated actions on the coast. The elk was accompanied to the territory of Vingis Park, where it got out of the river," said Giedrius Ročkus, head of the 6th team of the Vilnius County Fire and Rescue Board.
The rescue operation lasted about two hours - firefighters had to chase the moose several kilometers along the river to Vingis Park. Rescuers arrived at the scene at the request of the Wildlife Conservation Center.
"Our veterinarian had an injection gun ready in case the animal needed to be sedated. If it did not swim with the river current, but tried to swim to the shore, it would pose a threat to both its health and that of those around it," emphasized Justina Morkūnaitė, head of the Wildlife Care Center.
However, the moose did not need to be euthanized - with the help of firefighters, it managed to get to shore safely.
The head of the wildlife center explained why the rescue operation was not launched earlier.
"It is not appropriate to start chasing the animal right away. It needs peace if it is not injured. In the morning, we received a report that the spotted moose ran away to the side of nature and was no longer seen by the people who reported it," said J. Morkūnaitė.
The specialist says she has been in contact with services and reporters all day. It was thought that the moose had returned to the wild, but at around 4:30 a report was received that the animal was swimming in the Neris River.
"Moose are good swimmers, so there's no need to worry about him drowning. However, it was noticed that he stopped at one point and was no longer moving, so we decided that we needed to help him return safely," said the head of the Wildlife Conservation Center.
According to experts, the moose was not injured and successfully returned to the wild. If you see a wild animal in the city, you should call 112, and if the animal is injured, you should report it to the Wildlife Conservation Center. Roe deer are the most common animals that wander into the city.
Author: Ugnė Rekašiūtė I LNK.LT
