Moose Kills 70-Year-Old Man Trying To Take Photos Of Her Newborn Calves

An elderly man died after getting attacked by a cow moose, as he was trying to take photos of two newborn moose calves in Homer, Alaska. The victim was identified as 70-year-old Dale Chorman. The incident took place on Sunday. Austin McDaniel, a spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Public Safety, said that while Chorman was fatally injured, another man who was with him escaped uninjured. The cow moose charged at the men when they were walking through the bushes looking for the newborns. The second person did not witness the fatal attack, but medics pronounced Dale Chorman dead at the scene.

As per the Associated Press, the cow moose left the area following the attack. People have always been advised to stay away from moose, especially after they have given birth. Austin McDaniel reiterated the importance of maintaining distance from cow moose and said, “Calving season for moose is the time when you definitely want to give them extra space. Cow moose with calves are going to be some of the more aggressive moose you’re going to come in contact with. Those moose will become unpredictable and work to protect their calves at any cost.”

Even one kick or stomping from an adult moose can be severe, considering their massive size. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, an average adult female moose can weigh up to 800 pounds (approximately 363 kilograms) and a large adult male moose can weigh 1600 pounds (approximately 726 kilograms). These animals can stand almost 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall.

Moose are known as elk in Europe. They are the world’s tallest, largest, and heaviest extant species of deer. In North America, they are the second-largest land animal, closely behind the American bison in body mass.

Moose encounters are not uncommon in Alaska, where there are 200,000 moose against the human population of about 737,000. As per the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the key to co-existing with moose is to give them their space. The department also suggests waiting as long as possible to let a moose pass if it is in your way.

Often moose become aggressive when people throw snowballs at them, approach them too closely, or have pet dogs that bark at mooses. This makes the animal perceive humans as a threat and prompts them to attack. It is also illegal to them.