Charging moose brings down hovering helicopter in Alaska

[Raineyrocks]

 
Charging moose brings down hovering helicopter
POSTED: 3:11 p.m. EST, March 5, 2007
Story Highlights? Biologist had shot moose with tranquilizer dart
? As copter tried to keep moose away from water, it charged
? Moose hit copter's rotor, forcing it to ground
? Moose outnumber humans 2 to 1 in rural Alaska, biologist says
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- A helicopter is not necessarily a match for an angry moose.

Instead of slowing down after being shot with a tranquilizer dart, a moose charged a hovering helicopter used by a wildlife biologist, damaging the aircraft's tail rotor and forcing it to the ground.

Neither the pilot nor the biologist was injured, but the moose was maimed by the spinning rotor and had to be euthanized, wildlife officials said.

"It just had to be one of those quirky circumstance. Even dealing with bears and goats and moose and wolves, this is pretty unusual and truly a very unique situation," said Doug Larsen, regional supervisor for the Division of Wildlife Conservation.

Biologist Kevin White was aboard the chartered helicopter on Saturday for a study of moose near Gustavus, a community of 459 people about 50 miles northwest of Juneau in southeast Alaska. Moose outnumber humans there 2-to-1, White has written in an essay for the Department of Fish and Game Web site.

He shot the animal with a tranquilizer dart, Larsen said, and the pilot maneuvered the helicopter to keep the animal from slipping into a tight space or collapsing in water and drowning.

"The moose would start to move, and then the helicopter would back off and try to keep the moose out in the open," Larsen said.

But instead of moving toward open space, the moose charged the helicopter.

"As the animal got closer and closer to going down, an animal sort of loses its thinking -- its ability to rationalize what's in its best interest," Larsen said.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[eques]

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[LiveFree]

Wow...  Poor moose!  But being in a place where moose outnumber people 2 to 1, that sounds cool.  Hope ya like moose jerky!

[Tom Sawyer]

I bet the biologist considers himself a "friend" of the moose... some friend.

Good job Bullwinkle... shoot him with a dart and then terrorize him with your Whirlygig... he stood his ground.

[Lloyd Danforth]

How did those moose ever survive before biologists?