Moose typically try to avoid close encounters with humans, but during the winter months, when the animals are cold, tired, and hungry, their tempers can become unpredictable. In Anchorage, Canada, a woman had a harrowing experience as she narrowly escaped an apparently unprovoked attack by a moose while walking along a snowy footpath.
A video capturing the incident from February last year has resurfaced on social media this week, courtesy of the notorious Instagram account TouronsOfNationalParks. The account, known for highlighting instances of misbehavior in natural beauty sites worldwide, occasionally features people finding themselves in unfortunate situations.
The footage, shared below, was filmed by a passerby, Kate Timmons, who observed the moose stalking the walker, identified as Tracy Hansen. The steep snow banks prevented the witness from easily reaching Hansen, so they could only shout warnings as the animal approached.
Despite the warnings, Hansen didn’t hear in time and was caught off guard when the moose suddenly jumped and kicked her in the back of the head.
“I thought someone had not been paying attention and hit me with a bike or something,” Hansen told Alaska’s News Source. “I had put my hands up to my head, and I’m like, ‘I’m bleeding’.”
Upon witnessing the attack, Timmons’ family took immediate action, and her husband successfully pulled Hansen over the snowbank to safety.
“It definitely seemed unprovoked from our standpoint, and it happened so fast. It was just a matter of getting her out of the situation, getting her help. My big thing was ensuring she didn’t have a head trauma or bleed,”
Moose Safety
There’s a possibility that the moose may have been spooked by Hansen’s dog, Gunner, accompanying her on the footpath. Dogs are known to provoke moose, which can’t distinguish them from wolves.
If you encounter a moose while hiking, speak to it in a calm voice while gradually backing away to provide space. It’s advisable to stay at least 50 feet away from moose at all times. Never turn your back on them, and avoid getting between a cow moose and her calf.