A snowmobiler got a beatdown rather than a new best friend when he unwisely hopped off his vehicle in the middle of a trail to pet a wild moose.
When you think of the most dangerous animal in North America, what comes to mind? Bears? Wolves? In truth, it’s deer. But only because they cause a staggering number of car accidents. In terms of animal attacks, though, moose actually cause more injuries than bears and wolves combined.
With that in mind, this snowmobiler’s actions are ill-advised, to say the least. While traveling along a trail with a group, the snowmobiler spotted a wild moose in the road. And instead of passing by quickly, giving the animal as wide a berth as possible, he stopped the vehicle, hopping off to approach it on foot.
Reaching out his hand with a fool’s confidence, the moose gave the man a split second to change course before trampling him to the ground. With the snowmobiler lying helpless in the snow, the moose continued the attack, stomping every inch of the man it could reach.
At one point, the moose even stomped down on the back of the man’s leg, breaking it instantly with its 1000-pound punch. Meanwhile, his fellow snowmobilers could do nothing but wait for the animal’s rage to subside, lest they fall victim to the angry moose as well.
Why Did the Moose Attack the Snowmobiler?
So, why did this happen? Did this moose have any interest in eating the snowmobiler? No. They’re herbivores and completely disinterested in humans or any other type of meat, for that matter. Moose don’t want to eat you, they just hate you – which is why it’s never a good idea to approach one, especially not in the wild.
In all seriousness, though, moose don’t attack unprovoked. However, “provoked” means something entirely different to you and me than it does to a wild animal. Walking past an animal and getting just a little too close in the process? That can easily be perceived as a threat.
It makes sense, then, that walking directly toward an animal with your hand outstretched isn’t just a bad idea, it’s asking for trouble. Hopefully, the snowmobiler learned his lesson and never again approached a moose or any other wild animal. No picture or story is worth a broken leg.
When in a wild animal’s habitat, it’s your responsibility to maintain a safe distance from animals at all times – if they get too close, it’s up to you to back away. As such, it’s important to keep your head on a swivel. Avoiding a wild animal isn’t always as simple as it sounds.
For example, a woman in Alaska was recently kicked in the head by a moose while walking her dog. She didn’t attempt to pet it or even intentionally walk toward it, but she got close enough to cause the animal stress, and it responded by nearly shattering her skull.
