The following article is from our local newpaper "The Fairbanks Newsminer".
Falling moose nearly smashes Alaska State Trooper car
ANCHORAGE — Alaska State Troopers see plenty of hazards, but Trooper Howard Peterson was nearly felled by a new one: a falling moose.
Peterson was driving Feb. 2 on the Seward Highway south of Anchorage when something big and black fell out of the sky about 20 feet in front of his patrol car.
“Falling rock!” he thought, ready to steer clear if it bounced onto the highway.
The thing didn’t roll or shatter. It turned out to be a moose that fell from cliffs next to the highway.
Drivers often see Dall sheep on the cliffs but rarely moose. Peterson estimates the animal fell 150 feet or more.
It was windy that night, Peterson said, and a gust may have startled the moose into a fatal fall.
“They occasionally have bad days like the rest of us,” wildlife biologist Rick Sinnott said. “They slip and fall. Maybe he was reaching for a branch and the snow just gave way.”
Sinnott has heard or moose dying in strange ways — breaking through ice and drowning, jumping off railroad bridges at the sound of a train, falling off small banks. Once he saw the remains of two bulls that died during a rutting battle when their antlers got hooked together by a single piece of barbed wire.
A fall off a cliff probably doesn’t happen often, he said.
Peterson treated the dead animal the same way he handles moose killed by cars. After snapping photos, Peterson called one of the charities that salvage road kill
Peterson was driving Feb. 2 on the Seward Highway south of Anchorage when something big and black fell out of the sky about 20 feet in front of his patrol car.
“Falling rock!” he thought, ready to steer clear if it bounced onto the highway.
The thing didn’t roll or shatter. It turned out to be a moose that fell from cliffs next to the highway.
Drivers often see Dall sheep on the cliffs but rarely moose. Peterson estimates the animal fell 150 feet or more.
It was windy that night, Peterson said, and a gust may have startled the moose into a fatal fall.
“They occasionally have bad days like the rest of us,” wildlife biologist Rick Sinnott said. “They slip and fall. Maybe he was reaching for a branch and the snow just gave way.”
Sinnott has heard or moose dying in strange ways — breaking through ice and drowning, jumping off railroad bridges at the sound of a train, falling off small banks. Once he saw the remains of two bulls that died during a rutting battle when their antlers got hooked together by a single piece of barbed wire.
A fall off a cliff probably doesn’t happen often, he said.
Peterson treated the dead animal the same way he handles moose killed by cars. After snapping photos, Peterson called one of the charities that salvage road kill
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Ok, can you imagine the troopers view of this?? You all are most likely aware of my general thoughts and feelings on wildlife (Can I hear a big "CROCS RULE" :-) ...you just hush Andrew!) but I have to say my sympathy for the moose is really being threatened by the humor in the mental pictures that fly unbidden to my brain! :-D
Note the surmisings of the wildlife biologist: "Maybe he was reaching for a branch and the snow just gave way."
Really?
.....or maybe he was playing truth or dare with all the other teenage moose and he made a really bad decision to go with "dare"!
....or MAYBE he was just a really stupid moose. HERE'S YOUR SIGN!!! :-D
(Seriously,, have you ever seen an intelligent looking moose?? I'm just sayin'....!!) :-D
5 comments:
Andrew and I both read that in the paper and howled about it at different times. Isn't that so funny. Of course, your mental images are funnier. :) I will tell Andrew about your blog!!
:)
Byron
Maybe he was looking over the edge trying to figure out why there was a woman sitting in a lawn chair watching a snapping turtle on the side of the road????
Tracey! I had no idea you were in that frozen state! You look great and your kids look so cute. Say hello to Steve! I loved all the Michigan shirts!
My blog is www.wildhope08.blogspot.com
Garilee Janofski
Tracey,
Hey, I think I went to GBS with you and Steve in 90 and 91. We live in Wyoming, so we are closer to you than most people probably since you are in Alaska. How do you like it there? People just don't understand about it not feeling as cold here as they think it does, huh?
Fun to see your site.
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