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IMMEDIATE
SITUATIONS WITH MOOSE TO WATCH
OUT FOR
Key points for kids: Never throw
rocks or snowballs at moose.
This shouldn’t be done to any
animals. Moose have a tough
enough time finding food and
dodging cars. They can become
very agitated quickly and are
far quicker than most people
know. They can run up to 30
miles per hour in short bursts
of energy. Moose’s sharp hooves
are their first line of defense
and can kick out into all
directions. If you throw things
at moose to drive them away, you
likely have just sent an
agitated moose to become someone
else’s (possibly a child’s)
problem.
Never feed a moose. It is
against the law. In addition,
moose’s natural foods (called
browse) are what they need to
keep healthy. Human food can
actually kill moose when their
stomachs become conditioned to
lean months of winter browse. In
addition, fed moose will become
habituated and, what started as
a kind gesture, may turn into a
hazard that will make them
severely aggressive if you (or
others unaware of this fed
moose) do not have more food for
them. Imagine a moose going up
to a bus stop to see if any of
the kids has a carrot. We are
currently working with agencies
on increasing winter habitat
quantity and quality above
Anchorage in the form of
mechanized scarification that
will reduce existing fire
hazards while it mimics a
natural forest fire. Healthy,
abundant moose habitat for food
and cover is critical to
encourage them out of Anchorage
in the winter time.
Keep a safe distance between you
and moose at all times. A key
component is that a moose’s
normal routine should not be
impacted by your presence. If a
moose was eating, walking a
certain direction or another
activity and stops to watch you,
you’re too close. If a cow is
spotted, encourage your children
to look for its calf (or calves)
so the kids do not get between
the mother and her babies. Back
away slowly from the moose. Keep
in mind that if you are in the
moose’s escape route like in a
gate of your back yard, be very
careful.
Kids are far different than
adults when it comes to moose.
Snow banks and fences that
adults can look over may be
blocking a moose from a child’s
view. Kids are not as attentive
as adults and may walk into a
problem before realizing it.
When you can, check in or
accompany your kids to help them
determine hazards. A walk with
your children around their usual
play areas or between your house
and your school to point out
likely areas where moose may be
is a good idea to teach them to
be more alert to their
surroundings. Areas where the
brush has broken tips and
stripped leaves are indicators
of frequently visited moose
locations. Pay particular
attention to these areas and
encourage your kids to find
another place to play or another
route to walk if possible.
Know the signs of an angry
moose. If a moose puts their
head down, lowers its ears and
the hair on the back of its neck
and back sticks up. You may be
in trouble. You need to start
thinking of how to get away from
this animal. The moose may start
walking towards you while
licking its lips. It is telling
you that you are too close. It
may also be a hand-fed moose
thinking you have its next meal.
Look for a way to go and/or
something to get behind like a
tree or a car. You can go faster
around an obstacle than the
moose can. The moose will likely
bluff a charge but if it does
continue the charge and you are
attacked, curl up in a ball on
the ground. Always protect your
head with your arms and lie
still. Stay still after the
attack so the moose does not
begin its attack again.
The moose that are being
relocated from Anchorage will
not only help our moose in the
city but will also help rebuild
depleted rural populations
around Alaska. Because of the
decreased habitat due to
development within the Anchorage
Bowl, moose are continuing to
run out of food and space to
winter in. Moose are also being
hit by cars and are forced onto
school ground at alarming rates.
The Alaska Moose Federation is
working towards relocating city
moose on and around schools back
into healthy habitat away from
the road system so they can live
as moose away from cars and
people.
SEASONS OF MOOSE TO BE CONCERNED
ABOUT IN TOWN
Fall: In the beginning of the
Alaskan school year, our days
are growing shorter and the
temperatures are dropping. The
coming snows will bring
additional moose down from the
mountains and onto our schools.
Until snows come to lower
elevations around the city,
moose are extremely hard to see
in the mornings and evenings.
Following a summer with less
moose encounters, children must
be reminded of the hazards of
encountering moose walking to,
from and while at school. This
is also the mating season where
bulls are very aggressive.
Winter: During the winter
months, hungry moose expend lots
of energy in deep snow while
searching for scarce food. Moose
encounters on and around schools
in search of food and hard
packed snow is significantly
increasing each year. Parents at
some schools are forced to drive
their kids to school because
moose problems are so bad. Many
children are forced to walk to
school year around. Build a
network of parent’s phone
numbers within your neighborhood
and your school. If a moose is
spotted, pass the news
throughout the parents and the
school. Encourage the older kids
to look out for the younger
ones. Teach your kids that if
they see a moose, have them tell
you. Be sure to look out of your
windows of your home to verify
whether moose are around your
house before you send your kids
out the door. Keeping alert
while outside are vital lessons
for kids outside in winter time.
Spring: The calving season poses
a tremendous threat from
protective cow moose protecting
their young ones. Never get
between a cow and her young. Cow
moose may be very quick to
attack especially if they have
been harassed by dogs. Teach
your kids that if they see a
moose in the distance, quickly
look around for their babies.
Back away slowly so as not to
pose a threat. In addition, the
increasing bear population that
prey on calves significantly add
to this hazard. The first 2
weeks of a calves life is where
most of them are killed. When a
bear kills an animal, it covers
up the carcass with leaves to
eat later. The bear now guards
its cache from anything that
appears to be a threat,
including people that are hiking
around the woods. People have
been attacked numerous times
after coming too close to bear
caches. Calves have been killed
and buried next to school
grounds. Kids need to know of
bear hazards. Making lots of
noise and keeping out of the
thick brush in spring time is
good advice.
Summer: This time has the same
hazards of cows with their new
babies yet the calves are
growing substantially (growing
1.5% in body weight daily). The
calves are substantially
increasing their odds of getting
away from bears. Because of the
heat of summer, moose tend to
migrate into the higher country
and stay in the thickest/coolest
areas and also around lakes,
swamps and rivers. Moose must
keep cool so you may not see
many moose in the summer times.
BEGIN TO PLAN LONG TERM CHANGES
* School and home construction
can be performed to create much
safer conditions for children
from wildlife. In particular,
succulent shrubbery which moose
feed on (Link to moose food
list) should not be planted
anywhere near entrances, bus
loading zones, play grounds or
along walking routes to and from
schools. Some species of
ornamental trees such as Black
Cherry Trees are not eaten by
moose yet they will walk over
and check the tree out to see if
they like it. Other forms of
aesthetics should be chosen
around schools. Make sure that
yards or other fenced areas have
multiple gates for access.
Animals have a strong flight
instinct when spooked so the
multiple exits of an area will
allow other routes of escape if
you walk into a yard with a
moose. In addition, thick brush,
especially around water, should
be removed around schools to
discourage calving in the
spring.
* Lighting should be ample so
moose can be spotted safe
distances away from the kids.
Some trails between
neighborhoods and schools are
not lit and can put kids into
peril with wildlife very
quickly. Motion detectors can be
used to let people know that
moose around moving around
outside. Most moose tend to be
active in the morning and
evening hours. Encourage kids
(usually not needed) to make
lots of noise while they are on
these trails so moose know they
are around. Visibility in the
form of lighting and decreased
brush will definitely help
keeping moose (and kids) from
being spooked.
* School perimeters are
surrounded on many sides by
fencing that can be used to keep
moose out or can be used to keep
moose in. Moose walk along
fences until they open for
driveways, roads and walkways.
Existing fences along schools
and roads can be modified to
direct moose into special built
corral areas. Fresh moose browse
is placed in trailers hooked to
the corral to encourage moose to
enter here rather than on the
school ground or in front of
traffic. This is a common
practice in Salt Lake City where
the community has used trap
corrals to keep moose off of
highways and schools for
decades.
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