Despite Wildlife Officials’ Objections, Anchorage Man Leads Rescue Of Distressed Moose In Alaska Lake

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s website moose page reiterates how dangerous that species can be for human interaction. “While not normally aggressive, moose can become dangerous if provoked, so it is important to know how to respond if you encounter an aggressive moose. The key to coexisting with moose is to avoid confrontations by giving moose plenty of space. Never approach a moose!” the page says.

But that didn’t stop an Anchorage man’s decision to lead a rescue party to help a moose that appeared to be drowning out of an icy lake. Here’s more from Alaska’s News Source:

He said it would be hard for him to walk away or see it drown. Other people in the area wanted to do something but just didn’t know what to do.

“You can’t just watch something or somebody suffer and just walk by, even though you know I was expected to,” Graves said.

He then gathered a team and a rope.

“We got it around the antlers and started pulling, and then one of the antlers broke off because this time of the year they break off anyway, but we were able to — all of us — start pulling at the same time, and we got a little bit at a time, and during that time, Fish and Game actually called me and I was on the phone and pulling with one hand, and they said don’t touch the moose, and I said, too late,” Graves said.

There’s incredible video Graves shot while watching the moose struggle at University Lake in Anchorage, but ADFG biologist Cory Stantorf said in the report that it’s not a wise decision for residents to take matters into their own hands despite that this story apparently had a happy ending, as the moose appeared to be OK after Graves and others managed to pull the animal out of the water.