Five-time Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey was forced to shoot and kill a moose in self-defense after it injured one of his dogs at the start of this year’s race. The incident occurred just outside Skwentna while Seavey was en route to the Finger Lake checkpoint. Seavey urged officials to remove the moose from the trail, but had to take matters into his own hands in order to protect his team.
Seavey is tied for the most Iditarod wins in history with five victories. He is not the first musher to have to kill a moose during the race, with the late Susan Butcher having to fend off a moose in 1985 that killed two of her dogs and injured 13 others. Butcher went on to win four Iditarods before passing away in 2006.
The incident involving Seavey and the moose has raised questions about the rules surrounding encounters with wildlife during the race. Race officials confirmed that every effort was being made to salvage the meat of the dead moose, as per the race rules. New race marshal Warren Palfrey has been tasked with investigating the incident in relation to race rules.
Other mushers also encountered moose along the race route, including race leader Jessie Holmes, a cast member of the reality TV show “Life Below Zero.” The 1,000-mile race will conclude in Nome next week when the winning musher reaches the finish line. Despite the unexpected encounter, Seavey and other mushers continue to push forward in the challenging race across Alaska.
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Photo credit nypost.com