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.
(Video in the article)
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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