Wildlife photographer killed by cow moose protecting her calves

A wildlife photographer was killed by a cow moose in Homer, Alaska, on Sunday while attempting to photograph the cow, which had just given birth to calves. Dale Chorman, 70, was reportedly with another man when the cow moose attacked them, knocking Chorman down and repeatedly kicking him. Paramedics pronounced Chorman dead at the scene, according to a news release from Alaska State Troopers.

According to his son Nathan Chorman, Chorman died “doing his favorite activity.” He released a statement to the media on Monday essentially recounting what happened.

KTUU News reports that Chorman took a few photos of the moose that morning as she gave birth to two calves. He then persuaded one of his friends to return to the place with him. According to his son, they stayed on Chorman’s land the entire time.

“They wanted to go down to see how close they could get to take pictures of the newborn twins, but it was a very dense, very dense part of the forest,” said Chorman’s friend and local journalist Tim Kizzia Public Media in Alaska on Tuesday. “There were thick alders and elders, like we know them here, and suddenly out of nowhere this moose came towards them. They hadn’t seen it.”

The two men ran, Kizzia explained in a separate interview, and when Chorman’s buddy turned around, Chorman was on the ground with the cow elk standing over him. State troopers were notified of the attack at 11:52 a.m. on May 19. By the time first responders arrived, Chorman had already died and the moose had left the area. Wildlife officials said they were still investigating the attack Sunday but did not provide an update on the investigation.

“Dale had a lot of experience with wildlife. He knew the outdoors well and was unaware of its dangers. This was not a helpless idiot who got into danger – this was a person who went out looking for a great photo, knew the risks and got caught at a dangerous moment,” Nathan writes. “The moose is obviously not to blame. To the concerned neighbors, I say stop your primate spear-rattling. The mother ungulate did not have to die. She was only protecting her offspring. Dale had noticed the day before that the undergrowth was particularly thick this year – thick enough to get closer than intended and accidentally surprise a wild animal.”

Continue reading: Video compilation of angry moose shows how dangerous they can be

“No one expects to die on their own property doing something routine on any given day, even if the routine is quite dangerous,” Nathan writes. “But he would have accepted this result. Whether it was for the cranes or the calves, this was his favorite time of year. The truth is that he died doing what he loved most – or, *close* to most, since moose have a distinct lack of feathers. Whether it’s birds, moose or bears, I know you’ve loved all of his photos over the years. He loved sharing them with you.”

Spring is one of the most dangerous seasons for encounters with cow elk, who react aggressively when protecting their young. (Bulls are more dangerous in the fall during the rutting season.) An Alaska Department of Game biologist also told reporters Monday that elk in Alaska are particularly excitable after a long winter with near-record snowfalls in some areas. In the event of a moose attack, the ADFG recommends retreating to a safe location or running behind a tree or other solid object.