Hello friends,

Moose!

Day two of the Iditarod and already there is a big story that includes a moose. Moose can be dangerous animals on the Iditarod Trail as they are enormous animals that can crush a dog team and the human. This particular moose was blocking the trail for a few other teams who managed to go on by, but charged Dallas Seavey’s team. The Iditarod posted the following statement, “Race Officials were notified at 1:43 a.m. that Veteran Musher Dallas Seavey (bib #7) was forced to dispatch a moose in self defense after the moose became entangled with the dogs and the musher on the trail.  Seavey and his team were 14 miles outside of the Skwentna checkpoint on their way to the Finger Lake checkpoint.” The incident was reported in Finger Lake where snowmobiles were sent out to salvage as much of the moose as possible.

This is not new. In fact there is even a rule about it:

Rule 34 — Killing of Game Animals: In the event that an edible big game animal, i.e., moose, caribou, buffalo, is killed in defense of life or property, the musher must gut the animal and report the incident to a race official at the next checkpoint. Following teams must help gut the animal when possible. No teams may pass until the animal has been gutted and the musher killing the animal has proceeded. Any other animal killed in defense of life or property must be reported to a race official, but need not be gutted.

We’re all relieved that Dallas and his K9s survived the incident and are still in the race. Keep checking back for further race updates!

Tail wags,

Zuma