'Moose rider' under investigation after video posted to YouTube
Footage shows man jumping off boat onto the back of a moose
B.C. conservation officials have launched an investigation after video was posted Saturday to YouTube showing an unidentified man jumping on and riding a moose.
The video, shot from a motor boat, shows the pursuit of a moose as it crosses a shallow body of water.
A man in bathing trunks is on the bow of the boat. As the boat pulls up behind the moose, the man jumps onto its back and rides the struggling animal for 15 seconds before falling off.
One of the passengers in the boat can be heard shouting, "I've never seen anything so awesome." Others in the boat can be heard laughing.
David Vince, a conservation officer with the B.C. Ministry of the Environment, says there is a law against harassing wildlife and what's shown in the video is "the ultimate form of harassment."
"You can see that the moose is struggling with that fellow on her back. You can see the fright in her eyes," he told CBC News.
Vince says conservation officers believe the incident may have taken place last July on Tuchodi Lakes in Northern Rocky Mountains Provincial Park, although the exact location has yet to be confirmed.
He's asking anyone with information to call 1-877-952-7277.
The video was sent to the province's conservation service by a group called Wolftracker.
Wolftracker's Facebook page says it supports "responsible, legal, predator control in British Columbia."