A woman was attacked by a hungry moose outside her home in Western Canada and her son wrestled the animal and shot it, according to multiple local news reports.
Earlier this month, Angie Tuffnell stepped outside her home in Bienfait, Saskatchewan and started her car in frigid temperatures. According to CBC News , she scared a hungry moose that was warming itself next to a dryer vent.
The animal then attacked the woman, CBC and Global News reported.
Her son Sean Tufnell heard her screams for help.
“I ran down the stairs … and I saw a moose standing on top of her,” Sean told CBC News.
He instinctively wanted to protect his mother, so he slapped the animal in the face. Sean told CBC that when that didn’t stop the moose, he hit it three times with a shovel he found nearby.
He then retreated back into his house, but the moose began pushing on the door with his shoulders.
“[The moose] Right there on the floor of the house…trying to get me. ” Sean told the outlet. As the camera panned to his mother still on the ground, Sean recalled the effort it took to get the moose’s head in a headlock.
“I don’t care what it does to me,” he said. “All I could think of was blinding him so he could never see her again.”
According to media reports, Angie’s boyfriend pulled out a rifle, which Sean used to shoot the moose more than 12 times.
The mother and son were injured and received treatment. Angie reportedly suffered a deep gash on her leg, while Sean suffered broken ribs.
The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative later confirmed that the moose died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head and was not infected with rabies, but simply starved to death, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Saskatchewan Community Safety is urging locals to keep their distance from wildlife. Moose are also a threat outside of Canada: Although moose are considered less dangerous than bears, they cause more attacks in Alaska each year, according to the state’s Department of Fish and Game.
Stock image of a moose in Western Canada.
Community Safety, the Canadian Wildlife Health Co-op and the Tufnell family did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for further comment.
“Moose will typically run away when threatened, but in some situations, they can become aggressive,” the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said. “People can be injured when moose charge, stomp, and kick to protect themselves or their calves. Understanding moose body language under stress can help you stay safe.”
The agency added that the animals “can become aggressive when they are harassed by people, dogs and traffic, or when hungry and tired, especially in winter when they must walk through deep snow.”
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The dangers they encountered in Canada were difficult for the Tufnell family, they said.
“I’m not happy about killing the moose,” Sean told CBC News. “But we’re all still alive…it seemed like it had to be done.”
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