Human beings are hypocrites. We treasure our space but we refuse to give others theirs. This includes animals in the wild as well. Pointing cameras at them and calling out to them while they mind their own business. An unnamed US hiker learnt the lesson of letting animals be the hard way when a bull moose that he/she was filming charged at him/her unexpectedly.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Northeast Region shared a video on social media recently which showed a nearly fatal encounter between a hiker and bull moose in Clear Creek County, Colorado. The hiker was filming the clam-looking animal when it suddenly charged at him/her.

According to the post accompanying the video, the hiker was uninjured. "This video is an example of being too close to a bull moose and how quickly they can decide to charge on you," it cautioned.

A Very Close Shave

Moose
A bull moose (Representational Picture)Flick/ Government of Alberta

Also known as Elks in certain European countries, Moose (Alces alces) are the heaviest and largest among existing species in the deer family (Cervidae). They are herbivorous, mostly sedentary, and move slowly. However, they are known to become aggressive when provoked and can move quickly when alarmed or angered. The males are called bulls and the females are known as cows. Unlike the females, males have large antlers and use them to fight each other while competing for females during mating season. On the other hand, Elks (Cervus canadensis)—belonging to the same family—are known as wapitis in some countries. 

In the 36-seconds long clip that was posted on Twitter, the bull moose can be seen standing close to a tree and chewing on leaves. At least for most of the duration of the video. "It is from Clear Creek County. The individual just by chance came upon the bull walking along a willow bottom heading towards a lake," said the post.

The hiker—who is out of view—is filming the large animal. However, towards the end of the clip, with only a few seconds to spare, the moose charges towards the hiker. The hiker scuttles to safety as the moose goes out of focus. "Thankfully no injuries occurred. This person managed to get behind a tree and the moose hit that," confirmed another follow-up post.

Twitterati Slam Hiker

Following the sharing of the clip, Twitterati took to the platform to slam the hiker. "Animals give lots of signals. If you aren't an expert at reading them, don't stand there taking pictures like the dullard you happen to be in that particular situation, yeah? A little humility goes a long way and saves you and another amazing creature, too," read a tweet.

Another user tweeted: "There is just no fixing the stupid!!!" Commenting on the hiker's close shave, another tweet said, "Tourists just don't get it...they think they're at the zoo! Very lucky." Another user questioned the hiker's judgment and wrote, "Come On!!!!! You had to know you were in DANGER!!! WTH are you doing??? Was it worth it???" 

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