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Mounties clear teens of moose abuse

DEER LAKE, Newfoundland, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- The Royal Canadian Mounted Police say there isn't enough evidence to charge three Newfoundland boys with chasing and beating a moose calf.

The incident made national headlines when the Western Star newspaper reported the boys between the ages of 11 and 15 were suspected of tormenting the calf in Deer Lake in western Newfoundland Aug. 10.

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"There's no evidence to support the charges against the youth," RCMP Cpl. Steve O'Blenis said.

The exhausted and emaciated calf was found in a fenced residential backyard and had to be euthanized because it was beyond recovery, animal officials said.

Pritchard said the investigation determined a 13-year-old boy poked the moose with a stick, but it was only an effort to get the animal to stand up, the National Post reported.

He said the moose had apparently been trapped by fences on property with no food or water.

The father of one of the three boys allegedly said they couldn't have hurt the animal because they were vandalizing a church at the time, the Post said. The RCMP is investigating that incident as well, O'Blenis said.

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