Two men in Montana got a head start on being featured on social media channels for bad behavior around wildlife.
In a video recorded last weekend from Big Sky, Montana, two individuals who appear to be severely intoxicated were filmed taunting and then touching a moose.
The situation went downhill from there as the moose became irritated and began attacking one of the men.
Sadly, an individual filming the encounter - who was rooting for the moose - stopped the video before viewers could see the end result.
Alcohol-Fueled Exchange
What preceded the attack was a high decibel, likely alcohol-fueled, profanity-laced exchange between who we will call "the filmmaker" and the drunken men.
The filmmaker repeatedly warned the drunken duo to leave the moose alone. These wild animals, in particular, have a reputation for getting violent when provoked.
"Is it your moose?" one of the drunk men sarcastically responded to the filmmaker's call for caution.
"It's not my moose but it's a goddamned wild animal," the filmmaker said.
"You guys must be the dumbest people I've ever met in my life," he continued, as the offender kept moving closer and closer to the moose.
"I'm getting closer," the offender said while edging toward the moose. "A little closer."
"Go ahead and touch it," the filmmaker yelled between numerous profanities.
Touching The Moose
The drunken man did exactly that and that's all it took for the moose to react.
The moose charged and the man attempted to run away. Unfortunately for the man, it was icy and he appeared cartoon-like, running in place before falling on the pavement.
"Get him! Get him! Get him!" the filmmaker yelled, in support of the moose.
As the moose dipped his head ready to pummel the man, the video stopped.
It is unknown how the drunken man fared in the contest.
NSFW: Profanities everywhere in this video.
Factors That Elevate Risk
All a spokesman for the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Service could do is shake his head when presented the video.
"This is a good example of what can happen when you're too close to wildlife," Morgan Jacobsen told KBZK-TV in Bozeman, Montana.
"Moose can be very defensive with their space, especially if there are factors that can elevate that risk," he said, not mentioning those factors could include drunk imbeciles who deliberately taunt moose.
Jacobsen was more diplomatic than commenters on Instagram.
"I've never rooted for a moose harder in my life," said one.
There was plenty of criticism for the filmmaker, however, for stopping the video too early.
"Finally, the ending I've been waiting for. Cameraman is fired, though," said another.
