A muskox attacked and killed a man near Nome on Tuesday, according to Alaska State Troopers.
Troopers spokesperson Austin McDaniel said Curtis Worland was trying to haze a group of muskox away from his dog kennel at home when one of the muskox attacked him. He was declared dead at the scene.
Worland had worked in Nome as a court services officer since 2009.
“Curtis Worland was a dedicated member of the Alaska Department of Public Safety,” McDaniel said. “He served the state well as a court services officer, and he will certainly be missed.”
McDaniel said a 911 dispatcher told troopers about the fatal attack. Alaska Wildlife Troopers and Alaska Department of Fish and Game will investigate. McDaniel said they may decide to kill the muskox if it’s deemed a public safety threat.
For people, fatal muskox encounters are rare. But news outlets have documented the animals attacking and killing dogs in rural Alaska.
