A photo of a moose taken alongside off Highway 60 between Lake Crystal and Madelia. Photo provided by Nicollet City Councilor Phil Radel

BLUE EARTH — Moose sightings are on the rise in South Central Minnesota.

Before Monday’s Nicollet city council meeting, councilor Phil Radel shared he and his family spotted a moose Sunday near Highway 60. Radel said he and his family were traveling between Lake Crystal and Madelia when he and his wife saw the moose along the road.

Radel talked to the DNR about the moose and learned it had seen between Sleepy Eye and Truman recently.

The Journal contacted the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) about the citing. Big Game Program Leader Barb Keller said “It’s not uncommon for moose to wander throughout Minnesota. Sometimes its due to a parasite in their brain that makes them ill. We don’t know if that is the case with the latest moose sightings.”

Keller said a moose was also recently spotted in Northern Iowa.

Keller said the DNR does not take any specific response to the moose sighting unless the public or others report a safety concern.