It sounds like “Marty the Moose” may not be the lone moose in New Mexico anymore. We covered Marty last year as he traveled across northern New Mexico, garnering tons of attention, as moose are not a native to New Mexico’s landscape. Marty has a facebook fan page dubbed “Marty Moose Fan Club” with just over 22,000 members.
On August 5, Tracy Park posted on social media, “we have a new resident! I passed this beauty as she was trotting happily down Highway 38 between the Enchanted Forest and Red River. We have named her Betty Moose.” On August 8, Lindsey Dickens Roessler shared a post from the Roadrunner RV Park in Red River: “Moose on the Loose! But seriously at our campground we saw this little guy (which isn’t so little) and it was a first for everyone!”
Both posts were shared to the Marty the Moose facebook fan page and many commenters went on to theorize the recent moose were likely Marty’s younger sister Martina or Maryanne.
Additional moose sightings have been reported in the Taos Canyon and Taos area, with one woman posting the moose crossing the street near Walmart.
Darren Vaugh with the New Mexico Game and Fish was working to get additional information about the new moose sightings in Red River but we didn’t hear back from him at press time.
Here are some safety tips, should you encounter a moose:
- Always give the moose a lot of space and watch its behavior
- Never try to approach or feed a moose
- Stay calm and do not run away. Talk, make your presence known and slowly back away in the direction you came
- If a moose charges you or chases you, hide behind something solid (like a tree) or try to get inside a vehicle or building
- If a moose knocks you down, curl into a ball, protect your head and lie still until the moose retreats
