In Bienfait, Sask., Angie Tuffnell faced a bone-chilling wind chill of -40 as she ventured outside to start her car, a routine that took a dramatic turn when a desperate moose attacked her. Her son, Shawn Tuffnell, rushed to her aid upon hearing her cries and encountered the moose standing menacingly over her.
Shawn’s impulsive reaction was to confront the aggressive animal directly, throwing a punch that split the moose’s lip but failed to deter it. The ensuing struggle led to Shawn striking the moose with a shovel multiple times, yet the animal persisted in its aggression. Eventually, the moose even attempted to force its way into the house as Shawn grappled to protect his mother.
In a desperate bid to save his mother, Shawn resorted to wrestling the moose into submission, resorting to unconventional tactics like grabbing its ears and nostrils to immobilize it. The life-threatening ordeal only concluded when Shawn’s mother’s boyfriend arrived with a rifle, enabling Shawn to shoot the moose to prevent further harm.
A subsequent examination by the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative revealed that the emaciated moose succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, with one ultimately penetrating its brain. The post-mortem report confirmed the moose’s weakened state, attributing its aggressive behavior to extreme hunger and a quest for warmth.
The traumatic incident left Angie with a severe leg injury from the moose stepping on her calf, while Shawn sustained a cracked rib and a head injury. Despite the emotional toll and regret over the necessity of killing the moose, the Tuffnells are grateful to have survived the harrowing encounter.
Moose expert Ryan Brook explained that the moose’s behavior, though shocking, can be attributed to its natural instincts to seek shelter in frigid conditions. With moose habitat expanding across Saskatchewan, encounters like the Tuffnells’ are becoming more common, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a safe distance from wildlife.
The Tuffnells’ experience serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of wildlife interactions and the primal survival instincts that can surface in extreme circumstances.