A moose forages for food in the parking lot of the Army Alaska Headquarters building on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson early Sunday. Record snowfalls have forced moose to look for food in more urban areas this winter. (Justin Connaher/Air Force)
Petting a moose is not a good idea under any circumstances, the experts say, but at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, officials are warning airmen and their families to be especially careful about any encounters with moose this year.
The unusually heavy snow this winter has reduced moose food supplies, making them especially cranky, Herman Griese, a civilian wildlife specialist at the base, said in a release Tuesday. Griese also said that with the snow still 3 feet deep in the area, the animals are more likely to be found on a sidewalk, driveway or bike path, especially if you’ve been kind enough to shovel it for them.
All of which brings us to Air Force spouse Chantelle Hernandez. She got really close to a moose recently and couldn’t resist petting it. And a neighbor caught the encounter on video, which has become a hit on the Internet. Read more about it here:
