According to a report by the Associated Press, Alaska wildlife officials have warned people to keep their distance from grumpy moose after two close calls this past weekend. One of which involved a woman kicked in the ‘noggin’ by the grumpy moose while she was feeding chickens.
The woman was reportedly feeding chickens when a moose walked up behind her and began eating from her bucket of chicken feed. When she turned suddenly, she startled the moose, which then kicked her in the head.
“It pulled its nose out of the bucket, looked at her, reared back and kicked her right in the noggin’,” said Jason Herreman, assistant area biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
According to said Ken Marsh, spokesman for Fish and Game, another grumpy moose charged at skiers in a lift line Saturday March 11th at the Alyeska Ski Resort but no one was hurt. “Not all moose are looking for a fight right now, but they do tend to get a little cranky this time of year,” Marsh said.
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At the ski resort, the moose was at a blind corner and skiers had to pass the animal to get to the lift line. As more skiers appeared, the moose became increasingly agitated and charged people twice.
“It sort of ended up resembling the running of the bulls in Pamplona,” Marsh said.
In terms of the ‘noggin-kickin moose,’ Herreman told the AP that feeding a moose “can trigger attacks, and the woman who was kicked in the head unintentionally was doing just that.” “She had been allowing her chickens to roam and would periodically throw them feed, not knowing that a moose born last year had been chasing the chickens off to eat the feed. The young moose defended itself as it would against a wolf: “They rear up on their back legs a little bit and then kick out with their front ones,” Herreman said. Herreman also said the woman had a welt on her head afterward and that a blow to the head from a large cow could have been fatal, as a moose can range from 800-pound small cows to 1,600-pound large adult bulls. “Now she’s keeping her chickens in the coop and feeding them in the coop,” Herreman said. Follow Vincent Schilling (Akwesasne Mohawk) – ICMN’s Arts and Entertainment, Pow Wows and Sports Editor – Follow @VinceSchilling
