Watch Out For Wildlife This Winter When Driving

This is not a moose. It's a caribou. And it's not winter, but a summer day in Denali National Park.

The Alaska Department of Fish & Game is warning drivers about watching out for moose as the state sinks into the darkest days of a late November winter. The Municipality of Anchorage, which is enormous in size, sees around 150 moose hit by cars every winter.

In the Mat-Su Valley, around 280 moose die. During the winter months, deep snow brings moose -- and caribou -- out onto the plowed roads. Because they're prey animals, both moose and caribou are wildly erratic, running blindly back and forth in the highway. In the winter, when there is little daylight, the animals leap out onto the road with almost no warning. It's a rare motorist who hasn't had a close call.

During the winter, drive more slowly on Alaska's 2-lane arterial highways. It's far easier to avoid a large animal if you're traveling at 50 mph. Look for dark shapes on the side of the road. And always assume that any animal you see, whether moose or caribou, has a calf or two nearby -- or is traveling with other animals that you don't see.