It happened when a snowmobile narrowly survived an encounter with a moose on an Idaho trail.
Both the man and the moose, estimated to weigh more than 1,000 pounds, managed to escape without injury, but the snowmobile was damaged when the animal fell over it.
Brothers Josiah and Jeremiah Bigelow were out with their family near Palisades on Wednesday morning.
The female moose, which averages between 850 and 1,100 pounds, stepped on the road between the brothers and suddenly turned to attack.
Josiah said, “I didn’t have time to think. I just answered.’
His brother added, “Josiah was ahead of us and then the moose walked out on the path…she had her head down, ears back and looked very angry.”
Josiah said he sped up his snowmobile, but when he saw the moose coming he thought, “I’m just going to get out of here.”
A moose walks into the alley between the two brothers on a trail in Idaho
The moose turned and started walking as Josiah tried to get the animal’s attention
The moment Josiah tries to drive his snowmobile away from the moose
When the moose turns and starts walking toward Jeremiah on camera, Josiah waves his arms to get the animal’s attention.
The moose looks angry and starts to attack Josiah.
Josiah takes off on his snowmobile, but the moose – which can run up to 35 miles per hour – quickly overtakes him.
At the last second, the snowmobile jumps to the right, causing the animal to fall directly over the vehicle.
The moose stood up as Josiah hurried back to the snowmobile.
Both the moose and the family escaped unharmed.
Animal experts told ABC News that moose react negatively to humans stretching out. They advise a slow retreat.
Rather than being aggressive animals by nature, moose are territorial and can become angry when harassed or intimidated by people, dogs and traffic, or when they are hungry and tired.
They tend to be more prone to aggression during their mating season in late September and October, as well as adverse weather conditions when forced to walk through cold and snowy conditions.
The Alaska Dept of Fish and Game advises to be patient with moose, even if it takes half an hour. A loud noise can move the animal, but people who are used to people are not so easily scared away.
A photo shows the two brothers being attacked by the moose on the hiking trail
Josiah apparently jumped out of the vehicle at the last possible moment and the moose tripped
As the moose lays on the ground, the man scrambles to safety next to his snowmobile
At the end of February, a woman was kicked in the head by a moose while walking her dog in Alaska.
Tracy Hansen was left dazed and bloodied after the animal attacked from behind and kicked her in the head while she was away with her pet Gunner.
“I had my hands on my head and I was like, ‘I’m bleeding,'” she told the Alaska News Source.
It wasn’t until she sat up, surveyed the situation and saw the animal in front of her that she realized a moose had mauled her.
Source link
James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
