Man Killed by Moose While Trying to Photograph Newborn Calves

Moose are not usually aggressive, but will become so when protecting their young.

A man attempting to take photos of a mother moose and her newborn calves was killed by the animal earlier this week, Alaska authorities say.

The incident occurred just before noon on Sunday, May 19 when the 70-year-old, identified by Alaska State Troopers as Dale Chorman and a friend were walking through brush about 100 yards from his Homer, AK home. According to a public safety dispatch, the cow moose charged two men and kicked one of them. Medics pronounced Chorman dead shortly after arriving on the scene. The second man, who has not been identified, was not injured.

"As they were walking through the brush looking for the moose, that's when the cow moose attacked Dale," said Alaska Department of Public Safety spokesperson Austin McDaniel.

However, Chorman was not an clueless tourist, but a naturalist and bear guide who had lived in Homer for decades, as his son, Nathan Spence-Chorman, explained in a social media post.

"Dale died on his property, tromping through the woods with a dear friend, in pursuit of a great photograph. This was his favorite thing to do," Spence-Chorman explained, per the Anchorage Daily News. Dale was highly experienced around wildlife. He was intimately familiar with nature, and had no naivete about its danger. This was not a hapless fool stumbling into danger—this was a person who went out looking for a great photo, knowing the risks, and got caught in a dangerous moment."

"The moose, obviously, is not at fault," he continued. "The ungulate mother need not die. She was just protecting her offspring. Dale had remarked the previous day that the brush was particularly thick this year—thick enough to get closer than intended, and surprise a wild animal by accident."

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game website states that moose are not typically aggressive animals, but will attack if they are provoked—particularly in the late spring and summer when it comes to mothers protecting their calves.

"Cow moose will relentlessly defend their calves from any perceived threat," McDaniel added. "That’s what we believe occurred here in this instance. We would definitely encourage folks to give cow moose, especially ones with calves, a lot of extra space."