Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Funny Email From the University

Regular readers of this blog know that I've recently started an online master's degree program at the University of Idaho (still no results from last Friday's test!). Today I got an email from the university, an email I must admit I never imagined I'd receive and one that made me snicker in an "aw, shucks" sorta way:

(Moscow Campus) A moose has been spotted near Taylor Avenue. Be cautious and give the animal proper space.

Moose Courtesy
* Never feed moose.
* Give moose at least 50 feet. If it doesn't yield as you  approach, give it the right of way. (Either retreat or walk way around.)
* If its ears lay back or its hackles (the hairs on its hump) rise, it's angry or afraid and may charge; back off pronto.
* Moose kick with their front as well as hind feet.
* Don't corner moose into fences or houses.
* If a moose charges, get behind a tree. You can run around the trunk faster than the gangly creature.
* Never get between a cow and her calf.

We have mountain lions near my school here along the American River in Sacramento but never get emails about them.  The only emails we ever get here at school concern rattlesnakes.

2 comments:

PeggyU said...

Moose are huge and pretty good at stomping things. I've heard they can be quite temperamental. I have a friend whose downstairs neighbor's son was killed by a moose. He had been riding his motorcycle in Alaska, when it jumped and broadsided him.

I've only ever seen a wild moose once. She cleared our 6-foot fences without any difficulty at all. I don't think moose sightings are all that common, though, which is why maybe this one rated an email. :)

Darren said...

I'm not questioning the importance of the warning, but I *still* think it's funny only because it's so uncommon.