A Montana woman defended her three dogs from a large moose that charged into her yard by using bear spray. The incident occurred in Big Sky, Montana, and was captured on Ring camera footage.
Shelly Thorburn, the woman involved, told CNN that she was initially fearful due to the moose's size. The footage shows the moose running towards Thorburn and her dogs. During the initial charge, Thorburn fell. Her dogs scattered, and the moose pursued one of them a second time.
After recovering from her fall, Thorburn retrieved a can of bear spray and deployed it, successfully deterring the animal. She expressed particular concern for Annie, one of her dogs, who is elderly, deaf, and visually impaired. A small moose calf was observed near the road, and according to NBC Montana, the larger moose was the calf's mother.
Moose can be aggressive, especially during their mating season, known as the rut. They are among the largest animals in North America. The incident follows a fatal moose attack in Montana last month near Red Lodge, where a man died after being gored by a moose's antlers.