WARE, Mass. (WWLP) – A moose trotting through a Ware backyard caught two residents by surprise.
The video sent to 22News from Kate Etzel shows the moose in the backyard briefly trotting, stopping, and then heading to the neighbor’s property.
“My God! I mean we live in a nature preserve, but that’s wild! It’s going to Carl’s,” two people can be heard speaking in the video.
If you can safely take videos or photos of wildlife in your neighborhood, you can send them to reportit@wwlp.com!
Moose have roamed the forests of Massachusetts, but by the early 1700s, unregulated hunting and extensive forest clearing for pastures and farming by early settlers led to their disappearance, according to Mass.gov. Moose began to reappear in greater numbers in Massachusetts beginning in the 1980s, expanding south from neighboring states.
Moose, like deer, lack upper incisors, so they strip off twigs, plants, and bark rather than snipping it neatly. Moose also eat large amounts of sodium-rich aquatic vegetation in the summer.
If you’re lucky enough to see a moose, stay a respectful distance away and try to avoid startling the moose. Moose are unwary as they move through different populated areas, mainly during the mating season.
Wildlife experts say always give the moose plenty of space, watch its behavior, and never try to approach or feed it. Moose can feel threatened when people or dogs get close, which can make them aggressive and cause them to charge.
If a moose does charge towards you, experts say to hide behind something solid, like a tree, or try to get inside.
If you see a moose in a densely populated area, leave the moose alone and contact the nearest MassWildlife District Office or the Environmental Police to report the sighting and to get advice.
