Emil the Elk caught in Austria after summer roaming across Central Europe goes viral

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A young male elk nicknamed Emil, whose wanderings across Central Europe this summer turned him into an online sensation, has been captured by authorities in Austria.

The animal was tranquilised by Austrian wildlife officials on Monday after being found near a motorway in the village of Sattledt in Upper Austria during rush hour.

He was then fitted with a GPS tag and released on the edge of Bohemian Forest near the Austrian-Czech border, according to the authorities.

Animal welfare organisation Tierschutz Austria criticised the officials for their handling of the situation, pointing to a lack of transparency and cooperation with civil society.

"The situation with Emil clearly shows is that more wildlife corridors are urgently needed along highways and railway lines in order to avoid conflicts between humans and wildlife," the group said in a social media post.

Emil was first sighted in the Czech Republic in a northeastern village at the start of June. He is believed to have entered the country from Poland. Since then, he has wandered through Slovakia and large parts of Austria, according to an online tracker of his journey.

Earlier this month, the animal showed up in a suburb of the Austrian town of St Pölten. He found his way onto the tracks at the central railway station — prompting a several-hour closure of the Vienna-Salzburg main line, which passes through the city.

The animal's odyssey has seen him attract tens of thousands of fans across social media, with Facebook groups sharing photos and videos of his sightings.

There has been considerable debate online whether Emil is an elk or a moose.

This is because the world's biggest species of deer (Alces alces) is referred to as a moose in North America, yet an elk in Europe. There is also a different species of deer in North America (Cervus canadensis) that is known as an elk in that part of the world.