Every year, thousands of people head into the backcountry to experience wild places—towering peaks, glacial valleys, alpine lakes. But along with this adventure comes a responsibility: to protect those same places for the next person, and for the next generation. The principles of Leave No Trace are simple—travel lightly, respect wildlife, and leave the landscape as you found it—but putting them into practice sometimes means resisting powerful impulses.
In the following video, we watch a person try to pet a moose. The moose responds poorly, which is expected. Moose are not aggressive animals, but if you do not respect them, they could certainly hurt you. They’re massive, unpredictable animals that can weigh over a thousand pounds and charge faster than you could possibly imagine.
Approaching wildlife not only puts you at risk, it stresses the animal and can alter its natural behavior. In essence, a “close encounter” may make it harder for an animal to survive in an environment already under human pressure.
Moose are already at risk in our modern environment. There are approximately 1500 car accidents involving moose every year. Many of these result in the death of a driver. Changing a moose’s behavior by enticing it to get close with food or anything else to try to pet it may make a vehicular accident more likely.
Leave No Trace isn’t just about packing out your trash or staying on the trail; it’s about humility. It’s about acknowledging that wilderness isn’t a zoo or a petting park—it’s a place where humans are visitors, not participants in the ecosystem’s drama. So, the next time you see an animal — a moose or anything else — enjoy it from afar. Take pictures and leave only footprints…
That is the best way to experience wildlife…