Animal Euthanized After Striking Tailrotor

A cow moose that had been tranquilized for tracking purposes made an unexpected move, and ran into the tailrotor of a hovering Hughes 369D in Alaska Saturday afternoon. The helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing.

Both men onboard the helicopter (file photo of type shown at right) walked away unscathed... but the moose had to be euthanized due to the extent of its injuries, officials with Alaska's Department of Fish and Game told the Anchorage Daily News.

"I have never personally seen or heard of an injury of this type, caused to an animal by an aircraft," said Doug Larsen, regional supervisor for the Division of Wildlife Conservation. "It just had to be one of those quirky circumstance. Even dealing with bears and goats and moose and wolves, this is pretty unusual and truly a very unique situation."

Larsen said biologist Kevin White, a passenger onboard the helo, had to use a lethal injection on the stricken animal.

"It was really beyond help at that point," Larsen said. "When it hit its nose, it basically chopped off the end of its nose. It was really severely injured."

The helicopter was operating in "a pretty confined area" and was tracking the tranquilized moose to ensure it wouldn't slip, or collapse into a nearby estuary.

"The moose would start to move, and then the helicopter would back off and try to keep the moose out in the open," Larsen said, adding the moose then acted opposite the way those onboard the helicopter expected it to.

"As the animal got closer and closer to going down, an animal sort of loses its thinking -- its ability to rationalize what's in its best interest," Larsen said. "Apparently at that point the moose ... decided to come toward the helicopter. As the moose came toward it, the pilot couldn't maneuver out of the way, and the moose ran into the tail rotor."

Moose outnumber the population of the nearby town of Gustavus by 2-1, according to an essay written by White. Glacial retreat in the 1960s allowed moose to migrate to the area north of Juneau from the Haines region.

"In recent winters, seeing moose in and around town is a daily experience for Gustavus locals," White wrote. Crews are tracking the moose to make sure the herd doesn't overwhelm resources in the area.

FMI: www.adfg.state.ak.us/