Wandering Minnesota moose continues to add miles and followers

Tom Cherveny, West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn.
·2 min read

Nov. 21—TODD COUNTY

— Whether it's a simple case of wanderlust or a love for attention, the moose on the loose that has become a social media celebrity continues to put on the miles as he adds thousands of followers devoted to him on Facebook.

The

Central Minnesota Moose on the Loose

Facebook page now counts more than 16,000 followers as it tracks the long-distance travels of the young bull moose, according to postings on the page on Tuesday.

He was reported Monday near Long Prairie, according to one post. As of Tuesday morning, followers posted photos and reported sightings of the moose in the Browerville and Clarissa areas in Todd County in central Minnesota.

The moose was spotted Monday afternoon just west of the football field in Browerville, according to Mike Jeziorski, a janitor at Christ the King Catholic School in Browerville. "The 5th/6th teacher and I were able to get her class all out to see it," he said in a text to the West Central Tribune.

One Facebook follower posted that she had spotted the moose on Oct. 5 close to her home near Lewisville in Watonwan County in southern Minnesota. She pointed out that the moose has covered more than 170 miles since to reach the Browerville area, or an average of 3.7 miles a day.

The moose explored Kandiyohi and Meeker counties at the end of October, even checking out the lakeside real estate along Green Lake in Spicer where he was captured on a home video system.

The Facebook page has been following the moose since his sighting in Minnesota near Fairmont. He has continued northward through the fall.

Many of the Facebook postings have expressed concerns about whether the moose would safely cross Interstate 94. He did, according to the postings.

His northward trek has many believing that the moose is on his way home. If he continues his current trajectory and pace, one Facebook follower pointed out that he could be home for Christmas.

While not common, lone moose will sometimes wander out of their range into southern habitat. Hagan Messer, with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources office in New London, told the West Central Tribune during the moose's odyssey in Kandiyohi County that sometimes a male moose will wander south to explore new territory. The DNR does not interfere with moose that wander out of their usual range.

Jeremy Gehrke, also with the DNR, reminds anyone who might spot this moose to stay clear and not bother it. Moose are powerful animals and can be aggressive.