Moose do not have sharp teeth or claws and are not ferocious in disposition, but many people wouldn’t hesitate to say the moose is the most dangerous animal in Newfoundland. The sheer size and plentiful numbers of moose on the island make them a hazard on highways that run through their vast forest habitat.

It is estimated that between 500,000 and one million moose live in Canada, in every province, but nowhere is their presence more sinister and devastating than on the island of Newfoundland, where moose did not exist before 1904 when they were introduced to the area. With no natural predators, their numbers now flourish and are estimated to be close to 150,000 on an island with a human population of 514,400. There are more than 700 moose collisions a year on the island, 70 percent of which take place between June 1 and October 31, and cost more than $1 million a year in vehicle damage.

On the highways, moose are especially hard to see since they are dark brown in colour and their eyes are often above headlight beams, therefore do not reflect light to warn the driver. Also, moose’s long legs prop their large bodies just above the average height of a car hood. If the vehicle and the moose collide, its legs are knocked out from under it, causing its body, which can weigh up to 600 kilograms, to crash through the car’s windshield, injuring or killing motorists.