Troopers say students didn’t kill moose

PALMER — New details have emerged about the moose death at Colony Middle School on Monday.

The account below is a compilation of stories from two students who witnessed the event. Their names will not be printed.

Three classes of about 30 eighth graders each met for P.E. class. Two classes went out to run laps around the soccer and baseball fields. Each field is fenced in separately with a path between the two.

One group of students ran out in front, but most lingered behind, talking and socializing. A few students spotted a moose inside the fence of the baseball field and drew the attention of the rest of the crowd.

The moose was visibly ill, but most students did not realize that, said one student. Two students started yelling at the moose, poking it with sticks and throwing small stones from the path in between the two fields. From this, the moose saw the entire class as a threat, he said.

The moose became agitated, ran toward the students and into the fence. It then turned and ran toward a student from the first group still running his laps.

The moose slammed into the fence then staggered back. It walked a few yards away from the fence and collapsed onto the grass.

By this time, the P.E. teacher had gathered the students into the other field. The teacher and another administrator went out to look at the moose and called the state troopers.

From a statement from trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters, the moose had minor injuries when the trooper arrived. They are classifying the moose as a winter kill, an animal weakened by a winter’s lack of nourishment. She said there is no evidence the students caused its death.