An Alaskan moose had a startling wake up call while grazing on breakfast when it fell through a window into the basement of a family home – Anchorage Daily News reports this is the second time such an incident has occurred at this same address. Alaska Department of Fish and Game shared video of the unusual rescue mission, which required the help of Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Soldotna Professional Firefighters and the Kenai Peninsula - Central Emergency Services to extract the bewildered moose.
The ADFD shared on Facebook that the surprising rescue mission involved tranquilizing the moose so that it was awake, but docile, in order to safely extract it. The video, which you can view below, shows a team of seven quick-thinking rescuers using a tarp stretcher typically used for human rescues to help carry the uninjured moose back outside where it was safely released into the wild.
The moose calf, estimated to be about one year old and tipping the scales at around 500 lbs, is thought to have been uninjured by the event. Moose's natural habitat is in forested areas with water, but they are known to wander into urban areas in search of food, particularly at this time of year, when cold weather arrives.
Discovering a moose in your basement would be a shock, to say the least – moose are the largest members of the deer family, standing on very skinny legs at an average of six feet tall from hoof to shoulder, then add a couple more feet for the head. Though moose sightings are relatively uncommon, there are a lot of these elusive beasts in North America – an estimated one million of them roam the continent compared to just 600,000 black bears.
By nature, moose are not aggressive creatures and not inclined to attack humans. Like the best of us though, they can become aggressive when feeling threatened, particularly around their young or if they’re harassed by people or dogs and when they are food deprived or tired, which is common in winter.
The best way to enjoy wildlife is from afar, with a pair of the best binoculars. For more advice, learn about what to do if you encounter a moose.
