Moose thanks rescuer with a lick after being trapped in Halloween decorations
'It's definitely the most Canadian thing I've done,' Fort St. John, B.C., man says of animal encounter
A B.C. man got a bit of a scare, followed by a rare treat, when a moose became entangled in Halloween decorations this week.
Shaydon Soucy and his wife Sydney were driving to a friend's house in Fort St. John in northeastern B.C. on Saturday when they spotted a man using a tube to try to pull Halloween decorations out of what they first thought was a tree.
"I looked at my wife and was like, what in the heck is [he] doing," Soucy said, before realizing: "Oh, wait. That's a moose. There's a moose with Halloween decorations on its head."
The bull moose, which has been seen by people in the Airport Subdivision neighbourhood in recent weeks, had got some black webbing and a decorative skull stuck in its antlers, and was shaking its head trying to get it off.
That attracted some would-be helpers.
Andrew Raw heard the noise of the attempted rescue from his house and went to the window to see a group of people gathered trying to help the animal.
Unwilling to get too close, he walked behind a chain link fence to take some video of the action.
"As soon as it saw me walk over to the fence, it started walking over to me," he said.
Soucy joined Raw behind the fence and when the moose cocked its head downward, Soucy was able to take hold of the decorations and pull them off.
"It's kind of like he knew I was going to be attempting to help him," he said.
After the decorations were removed, the moose started licking Soucy's hand and even let him give him a small pat — something Soucy admits he probably shouldn't have done given the potential dangers.
"He wasn't a huge moose by any means but definitely 10 times my size and my weight, so I was a little bit leery," he said.
Never approach moose: officials
At up to 600 kilograms and more than two metres tall, bull moose are among the largest animals in B.C. — about twice as large as a grizzly bear.
Though it is rare for moose to attack, WildsafeBC reminds people that they should always keep their distance from the animals, especially in urban areas — and especially in mating, or "rutting," season in September and October.
It's also the time of year when decorations can be a problem for moose and other antlered animals, with hammocks, Christmas lights and garden netting all posing a potential tangle.
The B.C. SPCA encourages people not to leave any Halloween or Christmas decorations out near wilderness areas from mid-October to December as it is a time when bull moose and buck deer can get stuck as they rub their antlers on trees and the ground.
If one of the animals is stuck, WildsafeBC says the best bet is to call conservation officers at 1-877-952-7277 as both antlers and sharp hooves can easily cut people — and there is also the risk of being trampled.
'The most Canadian thing I've done'
Soucy says as an experienced outdoorsman, he understands getting close to wildlife isn't the best idea, but as a former farmer his instinct to help an animal in distress automatically kicked in.
And when the moose leaned up its nose toward him, he couldn't help but reach out to pet it.
"I would advise against it and probably wouldn't do it again, but in the moment it was worth it," he said.
"It's definitely the most Canadian thing I've done."
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