2024-03-05 23:19:00
The traditional Iditarod dog sled race had a dramatic opening for five-time champion Dallas Seavey. On Monday night, according to the AP agency, he shot a moose that clashed with his dogs in self-defense.
Watch the start of this year’s Iditarod race (Dallas Seavey at 0:29) | Video: Associated Press
He continues in the race in Alaska and can aim for a record sixth victory.
The Iditarod started on Sunday afternoon local time. Before two o’clock Monday morning, Seavey shot a moose that was a danger to his team.
By then, he was about a tenth of the way through the 1,000-mile (1,609-kilometer) race. One of his dogs was injured in the collision with the moose.
Therefore, Seavey had to leave him at the next checkpoint, from where the organizers had him taken to Anchorage to the vet.
The Iditarod rules allow for this kind of danger. Mushers may carry firearms to defend against large animals such as moose, bison, or a North American reindeer called caribou.
If he shoots any such animal, he must throw it out on the spot. The mushers who pass by are supposed to help them in this.
The Alaskan police already have information about the moose that was shot. Organizers said they would do everything to save the meat from the animal.
This isn’t the first time an Iditarod racer has shot a moose. In 1985, Susan Butcher had to step down from first place when a moose killed two of her dogs and injured thirteen more. She defended herself with an ax and a jacket.
The moose was shot by a musher who arrived at the scene later. Although Butcher did not finish that year, she later won the Iditarod four times.
Only Seavey and Rick Swenson have more triumphs. With a possible sixth victory, the newly thirty-seven-year-old Seavey would become independent at the head of this statistic.
The top mushers will be at the finish line next week, the Iditarod usually takes eight to nine days for the winning team.