Moose Emil relocated from Austrian highway to edge of Šumava National Park

Emil, the moose that captured public attention while roaming across Czechia and Austria this summer, has been relocated to safety near the Šumava National Park. Austrian authorities tranquilized the animal on Monday morning after it wandered dangerously close to a highway near the town of Sattledt in Upper Austria. Officials explained that Emil appeared ready to leap over the highway fence, posing a risk to both drivers and himself.

After being sedated, Emil was loaded onto a trailer and transported to the Rohrbach district, close to the borders of Austria, Germany, and Czechia. He was released into the wild on the edge of the Šumava Mountains, where a small moose population already exists. While moose are usually solitary and elusive, Emil has stood out for his unusually visible journey through Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, and Austria, making him something of a celebrity along the way.

Even after Monday’s capture, authorities and experts will not lose track of Emil. The moose now carries an ear tag with a GPS transmitter, which will allow scientists to monitor his movements in the future without having to approach him too closely in the wild.