Mystery Moose Caught on Horns of a Dilemma

Wildlife biologists on the Kenai Peninsula are looking for a moose that dragged off an 18-foot swing set from a Nikiski yard.

Parts of the swing have been found, but biologists believe the animal is still entangled in ropes and chains.

“This moose will be pretty easy to recognize,” said Larry Lewis, a state wildlife technician. The smashed swing set could cause problems for the moose, even though the bull will soon lose its rack for the winter, he said.

In the past, wildlife workers have disentangled moose antlers from tires, garden hoses and Christmas lights. They’ve even yanked tomato cages and plastic bags from moose snouts.

But none of those items come close in size to the swiped swing set, which originally had seven legs and three swings, a teeter-totter and a slide at one end.

The moose walked into the yard about 1 a.m. Tuesday as Jennifer Wallis was watching television. She shook her husband awake when she heard a ruckus outside their home.

The moose’s antlers, a rack of 30 to 40 inches, was tangled in the ropes from one swing seat. “He started stomping and kicking and tossing everything around,” Wallis told the Anchorage Daily News.

The moose ran in circles, missing the family’s camper, boat and house. Then it tore off through the woods, leaving the slide in the yard.

Wallis said her neighbors are watching for the distressed animal. But she hadn’t heard any news of its whereabouts.

“We figure he’s still carrying at least 8 to 10 feet of bar, plus two legs and three swings,” Jennifer Wallis said.