Residents of Bienfait, Saskatchewan, faced extreme cold with a wind chill of -40 when Angie Tuffnell encountered a moose outside her home. The moose, desperate and cold, attacked Angie, leading to a dramatic confrontation with her son, Shawn Tuffnell.
In a brave move, Shawn confronted the moose, initially resorting to punching it in the face, which only aggravated the situation. Despite striking the moose with a shovel multiple times, it continued to lunge at him. Shawn managed to wrestle the moose into a headlock to protect his mother until a rifle was brought to the scene.
Shawn then took control of the rifle and shot the moose several times, aiming to incapacitate it. A post-mortem examination revealed that the moose succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds to the head, including a fatal shot that penetrated its brain.
Experts like Ryan Brook from the University of Saskatchewan explained that the moose’s behavior, while shocking, was driven by extreme cold conditions, causing it to seek warmth near human habitation. Moose have been expanding into Saskatchewan’s farmland over the past few decades, leading to increased human-wildlife interactions.
The Tuffnell family endured physical injuries from the encounter, with Angie recovering from a leg wound and Shawn sustaining a cracked rib. Despite the difficult decision to kill the moose, Shawn emphasized the necessity of protecting his family’s safety in the face of a life-threatening situation.