The Sylvan Lake RCMP are investigating the theft of a large moose carving from a residence on Lakeshore Drive.
On Jan. 3, when the moose was first reported missing, owner Peter Bennett was working in his shop.
“I had my headphones on with music playing and I was carving away,” he said.
While Bennett was busy carving, his wife was watching TV when she phoned him.
“Hey, are you at the front of the house? I just heard a car door slam and a vehicle speed away,” she said.
Quickly, Bennett went to the front of the house and noticed what had happened to his Christmas display.
“The individual who took the moose had cut the chain and knocked the rest of the display over,” Bennet said.
Shortly after, Bennett called the RCMP and an officer promptly came to the house.
“The policeman who came said he walked by with his dog every day and he had seen it on Lakeshore Drive every time he went by,” he said.
The moose carving is a one-of-a-kind custom carving valued in the thousands of dollars and has significant importance.
“When making the moose, I wanted to prove to myself and to friends that I could do something different as I usually chainsaw carve bears all the time. I was proud of the sculpture and had spent a lot of time on it,” Bennett said.
Recently, the story on the ‘Moose on the Loose’ has gone a little viral, he added.
“It was on the front page of the Calgary Sun and the Calgary Herald with CTV and Global also featuring the story on TV.”
People in the community have been very supportive as well, Bennett said.
“My daughter put it on the Lake Nation Facebook group right away that it had been stolen and within a few hours it had 98 shares.”
Individuals with information on the moose sculpture’s whereabouts should call the Sylvan Lake RCMP Detachment at 403-858-7200.