A Nikiski woman was trampled by a cow moose Monday evening when she got too close to its newborn calf, according to the Alaska Wildlife Troopers.
Fifty-one-year-old Crystal Cook was medevaced to Anchorage after the run-in, which occurred on her property before 7 p.m. Alaska Wildlife Trooper Joe Morris said Cook was reported to be in stable condition.
Neighbors said the newborn calf moose was on Cook’s property when it started calling for its mother on the other side of the fence. Concerned, Cook approached the calf.
That’s when the cow jumped over the fence, knocking Cook to the ground. Morris said neighbors then watched the moose stomp on Cook.
“Probably about 30 seconds, they thought,” Morris said.
The cow and calf then retreated to the wooded area behind Cook’s property.
Now that it’s calving season, Morris said, people need to be even more careful about approaching moose — even with the best intentions.
“A lot of times people are concerned that there may be something wrong because they don’t see them moving for a period of time,” he said. “The truth is, they have a good plan for what they’re doing, they know how to be moose. Just leave them alone.”
Morris said neighbors think the calf on Cook’s property had just been born that night.
