Video captures moose narrowly avoid vehicles after slipping across Edmonton freeway

It isn’t just drivers trying to navigate the slick road conditions in Edmonton; a moose captured on video earlier this week was nearly hit by a vehicle after slipping and falling on a busy city roadway.

READ MORE: Snowfall and winter storm warnings for Edmonton, central Alberta

The video was captured Tuesday afternoon on Miguel Borges’s dashcam as he and his family were heading onto Anthony Henday Drive at Mark Messier Trail in the city’s northwest.

Borges was driving with his wife and three kids as two moose were trotting alongside the road. Knowing how unpredictable the large animals can be, Borges slowed down as the moose approached the road.

“We just wanted to stop and stay out of the way,” Borges said Thursday.

“The next thing on our mind was that other drivers see the moose as well. So pulling over hopefully signalled to others that there was something to slow down for. Other vehicles stopped behind us as well.”

READ MORE: Moose wanders into Alaska hospital building

One of the moose started to cross the three-lane freeway when it slipped and slid a short way, narrowly avoiding being struck by passing vehicles.

Borges has lived in Newfoundland, northern B.C. and Alberta, and is no stranger to seeing moose — but admits this situation gave the family a scare.

“Very tense,” Borges said. “It went from, ‘Hey kids, look at the cute moose’ to, ‘Hey kids, don’t look!’

“We didn’t want them to witness the collision.”

Borges said the larger moose made it across the Henday safely. The calf did a few circles in the field but didn’t approach the road again, he said.