Wayward moose wanders onto train tracks in Fitchburg

A wayward moose seen roaming in Fitchburg Saturday morning was tranquilized after it wandered onto the MBTA commuter rail tracks, officials said.

Residents reported seeing the moose at about 9:30 a.m., Fitchburg Deputy Fire Chief Gregg Normandin said.

State Environmental Police were notified and responded, Normandin said.

The moose was found blocking the commuter rail tracks at about 11:30 a.m., MBTA Transit Police said on Twitter.

“Officers responded and our brothers from the @MAEnviroPolice expertly handled the situation,” the tweet said.

Fitchburg fire responded with about 200 pounds of ice to help the moose cool down, Normandin said.

“They were worried about it overheating because it was sitting in the direct sunlight for so long,” Normandin said.

The tranquilized moose was rolled onto tarps, and it took about 15 people to carry it across two tracks and load it onto a pickup truck, Normandin said. It was taken to a remote area and released.

MBTA Transit Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan said in an e-mail that he’s not sure why the moose wandered onto the tracks, but that the incident did not cause any service disruptions.

“I could only speculate why the moose chose to enter onto the right of way,” Sullivan said. “We oftentimes have wildlife pass through our track area. We believe the moose was there approximately 40 minutes or so. We would have held service for safety reasons but it was not necessary as the moose was removed.”