Recently on the Discovery Channel I watched a show called "Moose Attack!" about, well, how humans and moose apparently don't mingle well socially. Well, this being New Hampshire, of course we have lots of moose, and on occasion, our paths cross, such as here and here too. Now, a couple unfortunate folks are killed each year when they hit a moose, usually at high speed at night on a rural stretch of highway -- the last bit can be understood to mean almost all New Hampshire roads. An adult moose is usually 300-400 lbs., and can weigh in as much as 1000 lbs., but they have long, spindly legs which means that when you hit one, you usually end up with most of that weight right in the driving compartment with you, which becomes an immediate problem regardless of how much legroom those car ads claim you have. The 'moose crossing' signs aren't kidding. However, for all those tragic accidents, the instances of moose actually attacking someone in New Hampshire are rare, despite the seemingly frequent occurrences of moose wandering into residential areas or, in the case of York, Maine recently -- which is within about 4 miles of the New Hampshire border -- a moose taking a stroll on a crowded public beach. This isn't to say that moose can't be dangerous and shouldn't be given lots of room if you encounter one, but I'm just not sure they warrant a whole television program devoted to their homicidal nature. This reminds me, by the way, that I once met an enterprising craft fair merchant locally who was making jewelry, fridge magnets and car keyholders out of moose poop. Really. I got a lot of Christmas shopping done at her booth.
Anyway, if somehow the moose don't get you on land, there have been a series of shark sightings just offshore from New Hampshire, including the dreaded Great Whites. This prompted the Coast Guard to issue its first shark advisory in years in New England after many fishermen reported seeing more sharks than usual near the shore, causing -- in a scene reminiscent of the movie Jaws -- some to complain that the warnings were overblown and affecting local businesses. Can you just hear the munching? Actually, the last (fatal) shark attack in New England was in 1936, in Buzzards Bay (i.e., Cape Cod), Massachusetts.
So, if somehow the moose and the sharks don't get you in New Hampshire, what will? A small bug. Turns out the northeast (including New England) has been undergoing a major resurgence in Lyme Disease in recent years, possibly as more health-conscious (and overweight) Americans head for the woods for some outdoor activity -- and New Hampshire is built for outdoor activity. And ticks. The ticks apparently love it here, and once again, we have a situation where different species (e.g., humans, ticks) just don't seem to cohabitate well.
So the moral of this story is that if you have a deathwish, come to New Hampshire. Somehow the vast majority of us manage to survive each year, but there are plenty of critters here that apparently want to do you in. Or at least give you lockjaw. I'm waiting for "Moose Week" on Discovery Channel.
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