A Moose Is Shaking Things Up on UND Campus

It made its way to Memorial Stadium at 8 this morning

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — North Dakota is no stranger to wildlife.

“I’ve had reports of fox in the city, coyotes in the city. We have a deer herd in the city,” said North Dakota Game and Fish Outreach Biologist Jim Job.

Last year, a bear made its way into University Park.

“It climbed up into one of the biggest trees in the park, and it was just kind of huddling up on a big branch up there,” said UND student Luke Schurtz.

But having a moose set up camp on campus is a first.

“Every now and then we have a deer or two walk through the campus area. Typically, that’s it,” said UND Police Lt. Danny Weigel.

The moose wandered into Memorial Stadium at around 8 this morning.

“I got up late for class. I was like, ‘Oh man, I gotta get there.’ Then I see a moose, and I’m like, ‘Okay, gotta leave class, got to see the moose,” said Jack Chew, another student on campus.

Police tape and closed gates are making sure nobody gets in and the moose doesn’t get out.

“They’re a wild animal, and they’re heavy, you know, they got a lot of foot pounds coming down if they were to trample someone, so we advise the public just to stay away from them,” said Job.

Although they’re not sure, police think the moose simply walked through a gate left open for football practice and into the stadium.

“The football team was able to practice indoors, and ideally, we’re probably in the perfect location for something like this to occur,” said Weigel.

He says it’s the best temporary home for the unexpected visitor, as it can roam around without hurting itself or others.

If you’re the next one to see a wild animal out in the city, officials say the best thing to do is simply leave it alone.

“We are encroaching out into their habitats, so we just have to put up with them coming into the cities,” said Job.

Because after all …

“There’s moose within 10 miles of Grand Forks at all times. It’s North Dakota, you never know what you’re gonna wake up and see,” laughed Job.

UND Police say authorities guided the moose back into the wild after campus traffic died down Tuesday night.