Filed Under Very Canadian Crimes: Riding a Moose

Perhaps you imagined a man riding a moose was a common sight in Canada. Quite the contrary, it's actually a criminal offense—as two British Columbia men have learned. A year after a video was posted to YouTube showing a man jumping from a boat onto the back of a swimming moose and "riding" it for a few seconds, authorities say they've charged Bradley Crook and Jaysun Pinkerton with harassing wildlife, attempting to capture wildlife, and hunting big game while the animal is swimming, per the Dawson Creek Mirror.

The video—in which boaters are heard laughing, and one remarks, "I've never seen something so awesome"—was posted by a conservation group and sparked an uproar on social media, reports the CBC. It has since been viewed 2 million times. During its year-long investigation, BC's Conservation Officer Service says it identified the body of water in the video as Tuchodi Lakes north of Fort St. John, where the accused live. It isn't clear what led police to Crook and Pinkerton, who are due in court on Aug. 8. (More Canada stories.)