Severely injured moose put down after train collision; residents blame fence along new bike path in Ādaži municipality
Near Vecāķi, a severely injured moose had to be put down after colliding with a train, with local residents pointing to a roughly two-metre fence along the railway as the cause. Latvian Railways says the fence was built for the Vecāķi–Lilaste bike path project and no openings for wildlife were requested during planning.
On Sunday, September 27, a woman picking mushrooms near the railway station in the Kalngale direction found a severely injured moose with both hind legs broken, one missing part of its shin bone. The animal was lying near the tracks; the woman called police, who later brought in a hunter.
Ādaži municipal police confirmed the callout and found a female moose unable to move due to its injuries. The Pierīga hunters' club, whose hunting grounds covered the area, was notified; a hunter took over further handling of the animal and informed the State Forest Service.
Latvian Railways (LDz) confirmed that already on the evening of September 26, a train driver had to brake suddenly to avoid hitting a moose on the tracks, but the collision could not be avoided. The train was held up for six minutes while it and the collision site were inspected; no damage was found and no moose was located at the time, so the train continued on schedule.
Local concerns over the fence
The eyewitness believes the incident is linked to an approximately two-metre-high fence between the railway tracks and the Vecāķi–Lilaste bike path, opened this summer as part of the EuroVelo 13 route. She says the fence has no passages or gaps for animals, so the moose, after crossing the tracks, could not find a way through and, startled by an approaching train, ran back onto the tracks, where the collision occurred.
She notes that local residents had raised concerns about the fence's impact on wildlife even before it was built, including with the Ādaži municipality. She points out that trains run roughly every 30 minutes on this stretch, making such encounters between animals, the tracks and the fence likely.
LDz explains the fence was built under the municipality's bike path project to meet safety requirements preventing unauthorized access to and crossing of the tracks. The project's designer never proposed additional openings for wildlife to LDz, so the company cannot explain why none were included. LDz adds it would consider such a proposal if submitted and technically feasible.
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