Moose Turns Out To Be Bad Egg At Easter Event -- Anchorage Officer Forced To Slay Charging 1,500-Pound Animal

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - It began as a traditional Easter-egg hunt in a city park. Then a moose charged a police officer - and shooting started.

Officer Fred Jones was sent to Russian Jack Springs Park yesterday to help round up children who had strayed from the softball fields where some 15,000 colored eggs had been hidden.

An estimated 1,500 children had turned out for the annual Easter-egg Hunt. Some youngsters wandered off, and others got stuck in the snow and mud and began to panic. At least eight had been reported missing by their parents.

Jones started walking into the park, but found that the deep, crusty snow made walking impossible. As he headed back to his car, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye and turned and encountered an angry bull moose.

``He was right there,'' Jones said from his hospital room, where he was treated for an injured shoulder and an elevated heart rate. ``I bailed for some bushes. I think he caught me with his antler at the same time.''

Jones struggled to his feet and spotted a cow moose about 30 yards away, also moving in his direction.

He tried to frighten the bull away, but the 1,500-pound animal stayed 5 feet away with its head lowered. So Jones drew his 9mm semiautomatic pistol and fired once into the snow in front of the moose.

``He stood his ground,'' Jones said. ``Gave me time to get on the radio and inform a sergeant I'd been charged.''

The bull raised its head, then lowered it again.

``What was I thinking? `It's over,' '' Jones said. ``I was scared. I didn't know if I was going to win this one.''

He started shooting when the bull charged a second time. The animal went down, but then tried to get up again. So he fired two shots into its head.

In all, Jones said, he fired 11 rounds.

Jones said he was all right, ``other than feeling like I got hit by a Mack truck.''

The meat from the moose was donated to charity.

Wildlife biologist Chuck Schwartz said the animal probably was startled and felt cornered, or may have been upset by the many children who invaded his turf.

``Moose are less tolerant of children. A whole bunch of kids running around out there could have aggravated this moose.''