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Commuting can be tough. People have to deal with a lot of challenges, from heavy traffic to road construction to rude drivers to inclement weather. But not everyone has experienced having to sit in stopped traffic on a bridge waiting for a moose to get out of the way.
However, that was recently the case in the small coastal city of Belfast, Maine. Morning commuters encountered a moose on the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge, a main thoroughfare known as the “big bridge.” The local police department posted a photo of the animal on its Facebook page and warned followers that they “may experience heavy moose traffic on the … bridge this morning.” [1]
Comments were mostly positive, expressing tolerant amusement and a touch of “only in Maine!” pride. Several media outlets in the state picked up the story, as well, with the photo of the moose gracing the online pages of television stations and newspapers across the state.[2]
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Despite the fact that wildlife sightings are fairly common in most areas of Maine, it is a little less ordinary for one to stop traffic on a tall highway bridge within city limits. The bridge, which spans the estuary of the Passagassawakeag River — some locals just call it “The Passy” for short — usually provides a straight shot from one side of the city to the other with relative ease. But a moose in the mix changes things.
The moose was reported to be a young animal, perhaps due to its lack of antlers or smaller size, but drivers took care and steered clear, nonetheless.
According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the state is home to an estimated 76,000 moose, the highest moose population of any state in the contiguous United States.[3] In a state with a human population of just 1.33 million, this works out to an average of one moose per 17.5 people. Perhaps it is little wonder, then, that one of the large mammals eventually showed up on the big bridge in Belfast.
What type of wildlife stop traffic or endanger roads in your area? Share your stories in the section below:
[1] https://www.facebook.com/74867262879/photos/a.77411687879.78006.74867262879/10154751740457880/?type=3&theater
[2] https://www.centralmaine.com/2017/04/19/moose-slows-morning-commute-in-belfast/
[3] https://www.maine.gov/ifw/wildlife/species/mammals/moose.html
