Oh no! Be careful Emil! From https://www.heute.at/i/emil-besucht-st-poelten-und-sorgt-fuer-zug-chaos-120129216/doc-1iplt1ppf4

Dear Readers, I have always had a soft spot for moose, ever since I met Donald the Moose at Toronto Zoo 25 years ago. Such big animals, with such a considered and introspective approach to life! But a moose called Emil (after Czech Emil Zapotek, the long-distance runner) has been causing absolute havoc in Austria since August, when he wandered into various towns and cities, and even onto a railway (see the photo above) where he held up trains for four hours, and only moved when an express train started to move slowly towards him.

Emil probably came originally from Czechia or Poland, and made it almost as far as central Vienna. He became something of a social media  star as he wandered across golf courses, ate apples straight from the tree, and swam in the Danube. Alas, the reasons for his wanderings are, like so many things, climate-change related – scientists speculate that Emil was probably looking for somewhere cool and shady, which was hard to find in one of the hottest summers on record. Moose are cold-adapted animals, and overheat quickly, so this search is not just a matter of preference, but of life or death.

Photo of Emil from https://www.heute.at/i/elch-emil-vor-wien-ist-er-ein-klima-fluechtling-120126703/doc-1j3ghfht14

Emil’s search for a shady spot came to an end when he was spotted looking speculatively at a fence that stood between him and the A1 autobahn. An adult male moose can weigh up to 800kg, but they are surprisingly agile. Emil was tracked with drones and thermal-imaging cameras, and was finally brought down with a tranquilliser dart. It took eight firefighters to load him into a straw-lined truck. He was transported to the Šumava national park in Czechia, which has 30 moose already. On his release, Emil apparently started to lick some moss, and then wandered off, no doubt delighted by being back in a forest, though he was no doubt confused about how he got there. However, he now has a radio-enabled ear tag, so should he try to return to the bright lights of Vienna he’ll be easily spotted.

As things change, whether through climate change, urbanisation, intensive agriculture or for some other reason, we’re going to find ourselves closer and closer to wild animals. At least this encounter ended happily, without Emil being hurt (and fingers crossed he’ll be happy in his new home (it certainly looks lovely, and it’s big enough for the moose to get on with their lives without additional human interference). Let’s hope that we’re generous enough, and understanding enough, to avoid knee-jerk reactions to encounters with something that we haven’t seen before.