A farm in northern Vermont got quite a surprise this past weekend when a moose snuck into a cow pasture and appeared to try to befriend the animals there.
Cattle ranchers Sharyn and Tim Abbott were returning to their Sheldon home from an outing when they noticed a creature had joined their herd.
"I thought it was pretty cool," said Sharyn Abbott, whose Belted Galloway cows, Precious and Primrose, got up close and personal with the moose.
The Abbotts said the moose looked really healthy, and didn't appear to be in search of food or water.
"I think she was looking for companionship," Tim Abbott speculated.
At one point, the moose flopped down to rest not far from one of the cows, a picture shows. In another photo, the moose and one of the cows appear to have locked eyes, making the Abbots wonder what the animals thought of each other.
"It was a treat just to see the pictures, and get pictures close, and see how big and massive and tall they are," Sharyn Abbott said of the experience.
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They said while one of their Belted Galloways, Primrose, was really friendly with the moose, the other, Precious, was much more hesitant.
"The brown one was scared to death of her," Tim Abbott said of Precious' tendency to avoid the moose.
A young child of a neighbor dubbed the moose "Molly," believing the animal needed a name.
After a full day of visiting, the Abbotts decided it was time to shoo Molly away. They explained they didn't want her getting injured or stuck in the barn if she attempted to enter.
The Abbotts also wanted to avoid the moose damaging some of the fences on their property, they said.
The Abbotts are now curious if the moose will ever come back.
"We watch for her every day, thinking she might show up again," Tim Abbott said, smiling.
We're guessing Precious and Primrose are thinking the same.
