Alaska is truly wild when it comes to wildlife. Nearly 1,100 vertebrate species regularly appear in the state, including some of largest land-based predators in the world. One might argue that the many bears are the most iconic animal in the state, but the 175,000 – 200,000 wild moose are strong contenders for the title.
Moose are just about everywhere in Alaska, living from the Stikine River in Southeast Alaska all the way to the Colville River on the Arctic Slope. They’re most common on timberline plateaus, along the big rivers in Southcentral and Interior Alaska, and recently burned areas with dense stands of willow, aspen, and birch shrubs. They move a lot throughout their yearly cycle, traveling up to 60 miles between calving, rutting, and wintering areas.
With their very high population, tendency to head toward clearings, and the high number of pilots living throughout Alaska (more than 1% of the state’s population holds some level of pilot certification), it’s honestly a wonder that we haven’t seen more close calls on runways like the one in the video below.
This moose appears to have been a rather safe distance from the airplane as it landed, but that couldn’t have been a moment of comfort for the pilot. There’s not much he could have done beyond performing a go-around, but again the moose was far enough away where this wasn’t really necessary.
Moose can move pretty fast, up to 35 miles per hour, so what seems like a safe distance could easily be closed in a matter of seconds. This wasn’t the case here, but it is a good reminder that keeping a safe distance from the enormous animals is vitals. Moose tend to injure more people in Alaska than bears every year, and while they’re usually not aggressive, they can quickly become dangerous if provoked. Always give them plenty of space and never feed wildlife.