Moose put down by Ottawa police

Ottawa police put down a moose on Saturday in an area south of Highway 417 near St. Laurent Blvd after they were unable to relocate the animal.

Police said Saturday they responded to reports of a moose wanderingsoutheast ofSt. Laurent Boulevard and Highway 417.

They managed to corral the moose in a parking lot on Triole Street.

Police said they normally try to provide a safe route for large game animals to return to the wild. But police said by the time they arrived the moose was already in distress and options to relocate it were not available.

It is the second moose police have put down this month. Last week a police officer shot one of two moosethat had run loose in a residential part of Orleans in the city's east end.

The June 1 incident raised questions over who should be responsible for handling wildlife in the city. Wildlife advocates have argued police are ill-equipped to deal with animals such as moose, but Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources has said the issue is ultimately the city's responsibility, though the ministry can provide technical advice.

Ottawa had a wildlife management contract with the National Capital Commission but it expired in 2008.