Vermont wildlife officials say a moose drowned in Lake Champlain after people crowded around the animal to take its picture, per the AP. Fish and Wildlife Officer Robert Currier tells WCAX that the moose swam across the lake from New York to South Hero, Vt., on Saturday. He says it made it onto land but was forced back into the water, likely feeling threatened by onlookers. "When it tried to rest, people crowded it and spooked him," a Facebook post from the Islander notes, citing details from Grand Isle County Sheriff Ray Allen.
The moose succumbed to exhaustion and drowned. Currier, who tells WCAX that moose don't often make the swim across the lake, adds that people should keep their distance from moose, noting the animals respond to threats by leaving an area or getting aggressive. "It is amazing to see these creatures, but they are wild animals and should be left alone," the Islander says he advises.
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