This poor moose in Anchorage, Alaska got caught on camera taking part in an impromptu and accidental slip and slide.
As we move close and closer to the start of winter, some parts of the United States need to be prepared for wintery precipitation. Whether you go by meteorological winter – which starts December 1 – or the astronomical winter – which starts December 21 this year (on the winter solstice), freezing temperatures and falling snow are right around the corner.
To quote the Starks from Game of Thrones: “Winter is coming.”
In some parts of the country, like Alaska, winter is already here and causing issues. Just ask this moose, who was strolling through a neighborhood and didn’t catch that an iced-over driveway was going to be a real problem. The moose went from strolling along confidently to fighting for its life (not really, but you know what I mean) in the blink of an eye as soon as its hooves touched the ice.
If you’ve ever lost your footing walking on an iced-over sidewalk or driveway, you know exactly what this big beast was going through in the moment. For those that have never slipped on ice, allow me to explain. Once you start sliding around, there’s 50% of you that says “I can recover from this,” and 50% that’s fully preparing for a rough, terrifying, uncontrollable rump-first landing. That’s just how it works, and it’s how it played out for this large wild animal.
The moose can be seen in the security footage first taking a few cautious steps onto the driveway. It would have loved to turn back once it discovered it was slippery, but once its front hooves were on the ice, it was too late. The animal’s ears back as the front part of its body started feeling the effects of gravity. The driveway’s incline, paired with the ice, basically transformed the pavement into a ski slope.
Though the moose wasn’t looking for a ride down the hill, it quickly accepted it. I’m not sure if it was an intentional move or not, but the animal – which usually stands around five to six feet tall – lowered its body closer to the ground once it started sliding. That likely saved it from some sort of nasty fall, and communicated to me at least that this wasn’t the first time it had dealt with the effects of slick ice.
It rode the wave all the way down to the bottom of the hill, where it then regained its footing and stood in place for a while. Can you really blame it? There’s a high likelihood that the moose was still recovering from that heart-sinking feeling where you know you are slipping on ice, but you can’t do a darn thing about it.
If you ask me, the moose pulled off a rather graceful fall. Other than a bruised ego, it avoided any sort if injury, and it was all caught on camera:
“A woman in Alaska says she was drinking her morning coffee when she saw a moose lose its footing on her ‘very icy’ driveway. Home security footage captured the moment.”
