VANCOUVER -- Conservation officers are reminding the public not to approach wildlife after a moose calf kicked a woman while being hand-fed by a group of young people in the B.C. Interior.
And though the woman wasn't seriously hurt, the incident convinced authorities to relocate the animal, which unfortunately led to its death.
"It's called capture myopathy," said Sgt. Steve Ackles of the B.C. Conservation Officer Service. "Animals, when they're captured and immobilized, can succumb to that stress."
Authorities said the orphaned moose started hanging around the community of Vanderhoof about six weeks ago, and officers had been monitoring it for the safety of the calf and community.
Officers urged residents to give the animal space, Ackles said, but some people apparently didn't get the message. On Thursday night, a group of people were trying to give the calf food when the animal kicked a woman in the hand.
There were also signs the moose was becoming habituated to humans.
"It was a very superficial injury, no cuts or anything, but given that information and because the moose's behaviour had changed … I told the officers we should probably try to move it," the sergeant told CTV News.
The animal was taken to a remote area with plenty of feed, but when officers returned hours later to check on the moose they found its condition had deteriorated. They were ultimately forced to euthanize it.
"It's frustrating for them. They're not feeling too happy about it today that the moose passed away," Ackles said. "We were monitoring it for weeks hoping that once spring came and she gained some more weight she'd be fine and live a good life."
It's unclear whether the woman who was kicked had been personally feeding the moose or was just present during the feeding, Ackles said.
Approaching moose to feed them, pet them or take pictures with them is never a good idea. The B.C. Conservation Officer Service warned that even calves can cause serious injury if approached or cornered by humans – Ackles estimated the moose in Vanderhoof weighed between 350 and 400 pounds.
"Moose can be extremely dangerous animals due to their size," he added. "People should not be getting close to these large animals, or any wild animals for that matter."
