Most people know better than to approach a mama bear and her cubs, but they may not realize that a mother moose can be just as dangerous.
TikToker Casey Scroggins (@caseymojo1897) shared a brief clip showing two tourists — perhaps unwittingly — walking toward a moose and her calf. One of the moose seemingly becomes curious and begins to approach the humans.
@caseymojo1897 Tourist tryna get hurt haha. Never get close to a momma moose an her babies #moose #alaska #downtown #fairbanks #whenanimalsattact ♬ original sound - Casey Scroggins
"Tryna get hurt," Scroggins wrote. "... Never get close to a momma moose and her babies."
In the video, a voice can be heard urgently warning the tourists to stay far away.
"Thanks for telling them," another TikToker wrote. "Not everyone realizes the danger."
Visiting national parks is one way to experience inspiring beauty while saving money and reducing pollution, as opposed to international travel.
The tourism scene is also good for the economy, generating billions of dollars and creating thousands of jobs in the United States, as detailed by the Department of the Interior.
Unfortunately, there have been numerous cases in which tourists have endangered themselves, others, or wildlife, both in the U.S. and abroad.
Members of one group narrowly escaped being skewered by a bison at Yellowstone National Park, while in Wales, a wild pony foal plummeted off a cliff to its death after people got close to it to take photos.
According to the National Park Service, even though tourists are mostly worried about running into bears in Alaska, where the video takes place, more people are hurt by moose.
The NPS recommends staying more than 75 feet from the animals and running to hide behind a "solid" object if necessary.
While the Alaska Department of Fish and Game notes that the majestic creatures are "not normally aggressive," female moose are protective of their young and not afraid to attack if they sense a threat.
The regulatory department also says that the animals can become "stressed and agitated" when humans or their pets enter their space.
It's not evident whether the tourists in this TikTok got out of their perilous situation unscathed, but it seems they were fortunate someone was around to look out for them.
"I learned this. Mama at my pond and hidden calf in the woods," one commenter wrote. "By the time I saw her, she was on me — tore my rotator cuff 90% and shoulder. I was LUCKY."
"I had one on my front porch once," another person shared. "I was late to work because I had no back door."
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