Alaskan resident issues warning following unusual run-in with moose: 'They can ... kill you'

An Alaskan recently had to remind r/anchorage about the $300 fine for feeding wild animals after seeing quite the mess at a dog park.

After sharing a picture of pumpkins smashed in the area, the original poster talked about how aggressive habituated moose can be. If they become accustomed to food being in an area, they'll fight to defend it.

"The animals are cute, but they aren't hard up for food, and more importantly, they can f****** kill you (or worse, they could kill someone who had nothing to do with your feeding them). Just be safe, be smart, and don't be a d***."

Feeding wild animals can lead to loads of problems. First and foremost is human safety. We've seen several instances of animals attacking well-meaning humans while trying to feed large wildlife. Even leaving food outside of arm's length can lead to animals becoming territorial and aggressive. The other issue is animal well-being. Their diets are specific, and feeding wild animals food outside of it can prove to be altogether fatal.

Interrupting natural feeding patterns is ultimately a threat to biodiversity. Animals have a hard enough time dealing with habitat loss, extreme weather events, and hunters, so diet disruptions are a decidedly unneeded pressure.

Fellow Redditors had extra advice when it came to food and local wildlife.

"Also of note during the winter their diet has switched and their guts are processing things differently now, fresh foods during the winter (when they normally would eat bark and small trees/bushes rather than fresh greens) can lead to bloat and kill them," noted one community member. "Do not feed them fresh foods during the winter."

"Some people feel the need to feed everything living in the wild like feral cats," chimed in another. "They're feral. They can feed themselves, they don't need your help."

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