It's a Wild Life

I had forgotten about this letter that Pam wrote to her local newspaper, until I found it today online. Note: I am the Wildlife Biologist Sister she mentions...

My wildlife encounter began on a Sunday afternoon, in the late fall, of 2002. I was driving home from Warwick, on County Route 1, and I noticed something darting, from my left, across the road. I slammed on my brakes (I have already hit two deer...they survived, but I was certainly shaken), but I was sure that this thing wasn't running fast enough for me to stop in time. I looked in astonishment at the huge antlers adorning its head and, no, it wasn't really running, it was kind of moseying-on across the road. When I came to a dead stop (without hitting it, thank you), I realized I had just almost hit a Moose (let's call him Bullwinkle). My sister, who is a wildlife biology professor, was certain that moose don't migrate this far south and that I had to have been seeing things. She strongly suggested that I call the DEC to inquire whether moose had actually been spotted in this area or if I had sighted a URM (Unidentified Running Moose). I must tell you that the DEC was totally unimpressed with my story and said that they would put it down as the first sighting in Pine Island that year. Now, my veterinarian, who is also an avid wild lifer, told me that once seeing the moose I should have pulled off the road, gotten out of my car, and chased it to see where it was headed. Get out of my car, chase this moose into the woods leading probably no where, and once I catch up to him, what do I do? Didn't have a camera to take a picture, didn't have food to offer him. Do you think this might have made a cool headline for the local papers? I heard moose can trample you to death should they choose to (I was not really going to take that chance). I have been told (not sure I remember by whom, though) that moose can appear in populated areas when cows are in "heat." I guess I was under the assumption that moose would only desire their own kind, but, a cow with antlers? I guess it could work! My warning has gone out that somewhere in Pine Island there is a "Moose on the Loose" and I have everyone on alert to look for another sighting. To this very day I have never run across another one of these big, furry guys, but I have my camera in the passenger seat of my car, just in case! Pam D'Ancona, Pine Island, NY USA - Sunday, October 22, 2006 at 08:03:00 (CDT)

Pam called to tell me that she had written this, and shortly after I found a little kid's book called "Moose on the Loose." My intent was to cut out some pictures and send them to her anonymously. Never got to it. But we did talk about her encounter many times, along with loads of other critters she got to know in the wilds of Pine Island. She absolutely loved living in a place where the animals would just find her!