In Bienfait, Sask., Angie Tuffnell faced a chilling -40 wind chill when she ventured outside to start her car one day. Unexpectedly, a harrowing incident unfolded when a starving moose attacked her, causing her son, Shawn Tuffnell, to intervene.
Responding to his mother’s distress calls, Shawn rushed to find a moose looming over her near a dryer vent for warmth against the house. In a bold move, he confronted the aggressive animal by delivering a forceful blow to its face, which only momentarily deterred the moose before it lunged at him.
A tense struggle ensued as Shawn wielded a shovel to fend off the relentless moose, which even attempted to force its way inside the house. Desperate to protect his mother, Shawn resorted to wrestling the moose into submission, eventually immobilizing it in a headlock to prevent further harm.
The life-threatening situation escalated until Angie’s boyfriend arrived with a .22-calibre rifle, allowing Shawn to shoot the moose multiple times to neutralize the threat. Following a post-mortem examination, it was confirmed that the moose succumbed to gunshot wounds, with one fatal shot penetrating its brain.
Experts, including moose specialist Ryan Brook from the University of Saskatchewan, rationalized the moose’s aggressive behavior as a survival instinct triggered by extreme cold conditions. The incident underscored the challenges posed by wildlife encroaching on human habitats, with moose populations expanding into Saskatchewan’s rural areas.
The ordeal left the Tuffnell family physically and emotionally scarred, with Angie recovering from a leg injury and Shawn sustaining minor injuries. Despite the regret over having to shoot the moose, Shawn acknowledged that the drastic action was necessary to ensure their safety in a life-threatening situation.