Posted on 10/12/2005 9:16:20 AM PDT by Red Badger
Norwegian motorists hit about 3,000 four-legged creatures per year and the 'king of the forest' is the most damaging victim.
Moose crossing - this traffic sign is a Norwegian icon. PHOTO: Solvoll, Einar Each autumn moose stories proliferate in the Norwegian media as the hunting season begins and the animals make a variety of headlines. A typical case is the Adresseavisen report of motorist Mona Austvik, who suddenly found her car smashed and a moose calf sprawled across her windshield.
"I have always been on the watch for moose since there are so many in the area we live, but I never dreamed that it would happen as quickly as it did," Austvik told Adresseavisen.
Even though the sudden accident 'only' involved a calf, her car suffered NOK 50,000 (USD 7,665) in damage, and the collision resulted in the animal being put down.
Norway's insurers pay out about NOK 100 million (USD 15.3 million) a year for animal-car collisions, most of them involving game - moose and roe deer.
"Such collisions often occur without driver negligence," If Insurance information chief Emma Vennesland told Adresseavisen.
Vennesland said that hitting a moose often causes both serious damage and injury. If policy demands car-wildlife accidents being reported to both police and wildlife authorities, also to ensure that the animals meet a humane end.
Local wildlife authorities said that such accidents were arguably the leading traffic safety problem in South Trøndelag County.
Aftenposten English Web Desk Related stories: Moose set off on long-distance swim - 22.07.2005 Moose closes tunnel - 22.06.2005 Moose spark traffic trouble in Trondheim - 23.05.2005 Moose rings twice - 04.03.2005 Expanding moose population spurs calls for more hunting - 17.01.2005 Moose attacks laundry rack - 20.12.2004 Landowners see gold in moose hunting - 29.11.2004 Moose breaks into grocery store - 12.08.2004 'Dead' moose attacked hunter - Picture Story: Norway's annual moose hunt - Moose on the move! - Flying moose lands on car's roof - Drunken moose alert in southern Norway - Moose move proves fatal - Moose pose record-high traffic threat -
I can attest to this! My 13 lb feral cat Moose goes tearing around the house sometimes, and many the time I've come around the corner and had a run in with him. Good things cats bounce.
Oh, wait, you mean *real* mooses. Moosi?
Never mind. :-)
Someone's going to say it, so it might as well be me:
A moose bit my sister once.
Moose are one of my favorite animals. They're so odd looking that they're ADORABLE!
Quebec License Plate?.........I didn't know they could drive fast enough to hurt a moose! (Snowbird joke)...........
No realli! She was Karving her initials on the møøse
with the sharpened end of an interspace tøøthbrush given
her by Svenge - her brother-in-law - an Oslo dentist and
star of many Norwegian møvies: "The Høt Hands of an Oslo
Dentist", "Fillings of Passion", "The Huge Mølars of Horst
Nordfink".
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.