Wildlife experts are being consulted by communities where they are experiencing a rise in reports of human/animal confrontations. Colorado has been noted as one of the states with a large moose population, so it does make sense that we are facing a larger number of violent incidents on public lands. Talk with the staff at the local government agencies, (U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, as well as the County Road and Bridge) and you may find them maintaining that most of these interactions could be eliminated if members of John Q. Public armed themselves with factual information. The number one tip that should be given is to check to make sure the physical appearance of the critter identifies the said animal, yet mistaking a domestic animal as an elk, deer or moose has become more of a problem than one might think. The most violent clashes have occurred on our highways, resulting in the deaths of people in vehicles or animals, as well as near popular hiking trails in our meadows or forests.
The words “docile” or “gentle” have cemented the public perception of this ungainly-looking critter. The general population may have enough basic knowledge of how they are supposed to behave when they venture outdoors, which is to keep your distance or watch for clues that warn you that you are an intruder. The critter’s clownish appearance or mellow-munching behavior is less helpful than the tips given by numerous wildlife experts or professional photographers among us.
One unfortunate, erroneous, impression that has sealed itself into most of our brains are the ones from the cartoons on television and books. Warm fuzzy memories of Rocky and Bullwinkle’s antics for those included in the older demographic have cemented the automatic reaction to an unexpected sighting. The demonstration of benign browsing doesn’t warn us until we are too close for comfort. Add a few warm and fuzzy memories from road trips when the family slows down to take a picture and all the preparation for a safe interaction between animal and human disappear.
Yelling and screaming at the driver to stop immediately, vehicle inhabitants threaten to trigger chain-reaction accidents when the highway is already cluttered with people and vehicles. Apparently, the day-trippers, who are trying to get closer for a better look, are not behaving any better. The most recent warnings by government officials from a myriad of agencies have demonstrated an increase in dangerous incidents. A recent article in a trusted news source may have been only one recent alert to the newest warnings about what we all should do when confronted by a dangerous animal. Yes, the moose seems to have made it to the top of the dangerous animals now listed in the top five of the most aggressive animals that we might all happen upon when we visit the national and state parks.
Moose Crossing signs may be cute and all the warnings of keeping a lot of space between you and any dangerous animal may continue to go unheeded, but too many of us are clueless about real moose behavior. Apparently the biggest “tell” is not found while watching the ears go backward or movement in the legs, as it’s all in the tongue and lips. After the pandemic and the increase of folks wandering in the wild, many of us are reacting exactly the wrong way, as we have been both giving and receiving mixed signals. Getting closer to any wild animal is not something any of us should do, nor is yelling or screaming. We might have noticed the sudden hairs on their hides sticking straight up, or their ears flattening back on their heads, but we neglect to notice them sticking their tongues out to lick their lips.
Articles, both online and in print are reporting a high rate of confrontations in the past year and are attempting to educate more folks about the dangers of the flora and fauna in all of the most popular sites. Some of these warnings may do more than the original intention of preparing the general populace, it will definitely scare a few away. Poor choices of warning phrases and words in some of the recent publications may stop everyone in their tracks. Officials in almost every location have upped their advertising budget and educational campaigns to be ready for the summer season of visitors. It pays to look closer at all of the printed warnings handed out as the following statistic may be listed: “While 90% percent of these dangerous encounters are not dangerous, 10% of the moose display alarming, even murderous behavior.” Another fact cited in the same article is that, “human fatalities involving moose result almost exclusively from vehicle crashes.”
By Dolly Viscardi
