A group of skiers and snowboarders at a Colorado resort had a shock after some members of the group got on the wrong side of a particularly large bull moose. A video of the incident was shared online last week by Lo Husen, founder of outdoor community Brecken Wild, which encourages people to respect nature while enjoying the great outdoors.
In the clip, which you can watch below, Husen and her husband are part of a group of skiers and snowboarders being watched by the moose. Moose are naturally curious animals, and will often approach people, but Husen explains that some people had been irritating the animal before she arrived.
The moose began to charge, and although the group of skiers and boarders began to flee, the animal easily kept pace and forced some people to dive into a hedge to escape.
"We got chased by a big bull moose on our boards because people were irritating him before we got there," Husen wrote on Brecken Wild's YouTube channel. "Please respect the wildlife and give them space. This should have never happened. We got lucky!"
Moose safety
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) explains that moose tolerate humans at a closer distance than most wild animals, and attacks on people are rare. However, they can be unpredictable, and protective of both their territory and their young. Males are particularly aggressive during the rut, which takes place in the fall.
Moose react particularly badly around dogs, attempting to trample them with their front wolves as they would a wolf.
"Since 2013, CPW is aware of at least 15 moose conflicts resulting in minor to serious human injuries," says the organization. "In all but two occurrences, dogs elicited the initial response from the moose."
If a moose starts to charge, run and try to get behind something large and solid like a building, vehicle, tree, or boulder. For more advice, see our guide what to do if you meet a moose while hiking.
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