A family in Spokane, Washington, was enjoying an average summer day at home when they suddenly noticed something enormous in their yard — or to be specific, three somethings.
What happened?
The family shared the story with local news station KHQ of unintentionally hosting three moose for an afternoon.
"They actually stayed for a couple of hours," said Kerri Anne Kramer, who was at home at the time with her two daughters and their cat, identified by KHQ as Marshmellow.
"I guess they eat and then they have to digest their cud and they lay down and enjoy the grass there," she added.
Indeed, several photos showed the moose mere feet away from the house, placidly chewing and resting in the yard.
But when the moose began to approach the family's fruit trees, Kerri Anne decided to shoo them away. However, merely banging on the window didn't work.
"They must be used to people — they weren't moving," she explained.
Fortunately, her daughter discovered that by blowing into a long PVC pipe, the loud sound was sufficient to send the moose on their way, leaving the fruit trees intact and the Kramers with a good story.
Why are these kinds of encounters concerning?
This encounter was harmless on all sides, but generally, when wildlife ends up in urban and suburban areas, it doesn't end well.
Whether or not a human-animal encounter leads to injuries, authorities often end up euthanizing animals that become too accustomed to human presence in order to prevent any future encounters.
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Definitely 👍 Unfortunately, these kinds of encounters are becoming more and more common as human development continues to encroach on wild land and habitat.
With the human population skyrocketing in the last century — going from 1 billion to over 8 billion in a span of less than 200 years, per Our World in Data — it's no wonder animals are watching more of their homes disappear in order to make way for humans.
The rampant, and often illegal, human use of natural resources also disturbs and displaces wild animals. This is particularly evident in industries like logging and deep-sea trawling, which both destroy fragile ecosystems in huge areas on a daily basis.
Humans suffer from animal conflict as well. According to a 2021 report from the UN Environment Programme, "human-wildlife conflict is as much a development and humanitarian issue as it is a conservation concern, affecting the income of farmers, herders, artisanal fishers, and Indigenous peoples, particularly those living in poverty and without resilience."
How can we prevent these encounters in the future?
Obviously, the issue of human-wildlife coexistence is a complex one. The UNEP report encouraged policymakers to stop overlooking the issue. After all, maintaining healthy and balanced ecosystems is key to ensuring a sustainable future for every living organism on Earth.
Regionally, many different approaches have been more or less successful in modeling human-wildlife coexistence. These approaches generally incorporate education and targeted solutions that actually benefit the people most impacted by the animals' presence.
Even something as simple as a wildlife bridge over a busy highway can keep humans and animals in their respective lanes (literally, in this case).
The International Wildlife Coexistence Network said that the key is to "work with Nature instead of against her."
"When we analyze the science and consider the needs of the community and the wildlife, we can develop solutions that are practical, mutually beneficial for people and wildlife, and build long-term resiliency," the organization noted.
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