Moose on the loose!

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - Usually this time of year, it’s elephants and donkeys that tend to excite folks, but now it’s an animal of a different stripe that’s got them all talking.

A moose!

The ginormous beast was spotted casually strolling off Starr Ridge Road in Brewster, according to multiple reports on social media sites.

The prevailing theory is that he was on the hunt for a mate.

Moose rutting season typically runs from late August through mid-to-late October, with peak activity occurring from late September into the first two weeks of October.

So he's a little late to the dating game, but c'est la vie.

It is the tallest, and second largest, land animal in North America, bested only by bison. Mature bull moose can have antlers that span between four and six feet.

No wonder he made a big impression.

Alan Ryder, a seventh-generation member of the historic Ryder Farm off Peach Lake, recalled that the last time a moose was seen in this area was September of 2008.

Alas, the unfortunate visitor eventually wandered onto Route 684 in Goldens Bridge and was done in by a car.

But worry not, the state Department of Environmental Conservation is tracking Bullwinkle, as moose sightings in Putnam and Westchester counties are highly uncommon.

Locals are being advised by wildlife officials and the state Department of Transportation to give the animal plenty of physical space and to drive with extreme caution along Routes 6, 1-84, and I-684.

If you see the moose, you can help officials keep tabs on its location by reporting the details directly through the DEC’s moose sighting report page,  https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/moose.