MooseMoose Taking to Highways
Discovery Earth Alert, Feb.14, 2000
More than 470 moose in central Alaska have been killed by trains and automobiles this winter. Record-breaking snowfalls have driven the animals onto roads and railroad tracks in their search for clear paths. The moose have been plodding through snow as deep as 10 feet, in the largest accumulation since the winter of 1989-90. They are unable to forage beneath the deep snowpack and wander into towns in search of food. Railroad workers have taken to carrying rifles and firecrackers to frighten the aggressive animals off the tracks. The moose are frequently belligerent, charging humans and seriously threatening snowboarders. Alaska's State Troopers have worked with volunteers to collect moose carcasses from the state's highways and butcher them for distribution to charitable organizations.
