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After hearing crash, Valley woman finds moose in basement
911: Troopers have to shoot animal after it breaks its leg charging a window.
By TATABOLINE BRANT
Anchorage Daily News
(Published: September 20, 2003)
The Alaska State Troopers tried everything they could think of to get the moose out of Josephine Didiano's basement.
Didiano, 48, discovered the animal in her house on Thursday, around 7:30 a.m., troopers said. She had heard a crash downstairs and went to see what was the matter.
"There was a moose standing there," said Lt. Randy Hahn, who spoke with the homeowner. "She slammed the door, went back upstairs and called 911."
When troopers arrived at Didiano's house, in a subdivision between Palmer and Wasilla, they found the yearling moose standing in the corner of her roughly 1,000 square foot basement.
The moose had apparently smashed through a basement window that was 6 inches to a foot off the ground, said wildlife enforcement trooper Sgt. Mark Agnew, who responded along with three other troopers. He theorized that maybe the yearling had seen its reflection or had fallen through the window accidentally.
"I don't think anybody actually saw him break the window, so we don't know for sure how it happened," Agnew said.
The moose had a few cuts and appeared disoriented, Agnew said.
For the next hour or so, troopers tried to figure out a way to get the animal out of the house. They called state Fish and Game officials to see if they could tranquilize the yearling, but there were no drugs available, Agnew said. Troopers opened all the doors and tried to leave the moose alone, but he wouldn't budge, Agnew said. They tried to prod him out of his corner and toward a door, but "he would charge us every time we got near him," Agnew said.
After many unsuccessful attempts, troopers asked the homeowner if they could break the window in the corner where the moose was standing. They figured if they could get behind him, they might be able to get him to move, Agnew said. Didiano said OK. "She wanted him out of the house," Agnew said.
The window in question had two sections. Troopers smashed the section they thought would be least expensive to replace.
"I was in the window hollering and screaming," Agnew said. The moose turned around and charged. It hit the section of the window that was still intact and shattered it, he said.
The yearling also broke its right front leg, at which point troopers thought the best action was to shoot the animal, Agnew said.
"We were pretty bummed," he said. "We tried everything."
The moose was removed from the house and given to charity. Lt. Hahn didn't have a dollar estimate on the damages to Didiano's basement, but said they were extensive. Besides the windows, the moose had also stomped various items on the floor and a heat register, he said.
Didiano could not be reached for comment Friday.
911: Troopers have to shoot animal after it breaks its leg charging a window.
By TATABOLINE BRANT
Anchorage Daily News
(Published: September 20, 2003)
The Alaska State Troopers tried everything they could think of to get the moose out of Josephine Didiano's basement.
Didiano, 48, discovered the animal in her house on Thursday, around 7:30 a.m., troopers said. She had heard a crash downstairs and went to see what was the matter.
"There was a moose standing there," said Lt. Randy Hahn, who spoke with the homeowner. "She slammed the door, went back upstairs and called 911."
When troopers arrived at Didiano's house, in a subdivision between Palmer and Wasilla, they found the yearling moose standing in the corner of her roughly 1,000 square foot basement.
The moose had apparently smashed through a basement window that was 6 inches to a foot off the ground, said wildlife enforcement trooper Sgt. Mark Agnew, who responded along with three other troopers. He theorized that maybe the yearling had seen its reflection or had fallen through the window accidentally.
"I don't think anybody actually saw him break the window, so we don't know for sure how it happened," Agnew said.
The moose had a few cuts and appeared disoriented, Agnew said.
For the next hour or so, troopers tried to figure out a way to get the animal out of the house. They called state Fish and Game officials to see if they could tranquilize the yearling, but there were no drugs available, Agnew said. Troopers opened all the doors and tried to leave the moose alone, but he wouldn't budge, Agnew said. They tried to prod him out of his corner and toward a door, but "he would charge us every time we got near him," Agnew said.
After many unsuccessful attempts, troopers asked the homeowner if they could break the window in the corner where the moose was standing. They figured if they could get behind him, they might be able to get him to move, Agnew said. Didiano said OK. "She wanted him out of the house," Agnew said.
The window in question had two sections. Troopers smashed the section they thought would be least expensive to replace.
"I was in the window hollering and screaming," Agnew said. The moose turned around and charged. It hit the section of the window that was still intact and shattered it, he said.
The yearling also broke its right front leg, at which point troopers thought the best action was to shoot the animal, Agnew said.
"We were pretty bummed," he said. "We tried everything."
The moose was removed from the house and given to charity. Lt. Hahn didn't have a dollar estimate on the damages to Didiano's basement, but said they were extensive. Besides the windows, the moose had also stomped various items on the floor and a heat register, he said.
Didiano could not be reached for comment Friday.
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