This is the moment when a fearless dachshund rushed to defend his master when a massive elk charged at her.
Tyler Henderson and his dog Risi managed to escape when a huge animal lunged at them near their home in Fairbanks, Alaska.
A home security camera caught the moose lunging at Mr. Henderson, who, unaware of the imminent danger, went outside to check his mailbox.
Tyler Henderson walks outside to a mailbox followed by his dachshund Reese as a moose watches him from across the street in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Ignoring the approaching animal, Mr. Henderson was only alerted when his dog Reese barked and ran towards the moose.
However, Risi noticed an elk resting in a snowdrift across the road and immediately set to work.
She rushed towards the giant creature and jumped up to try to bite him, although the difference in size was so great that she could not reach and flew right through his legs.
Meanwhile, Mr. Henderson took off running and encouraged Risi to come with him.
The couple hastily retired to the house, and the elk slowly walked away along the road.
Posting the footage on Facebook on February 24, Mr. Henderson praised his dog, saying, “Scream Risi, my weiner dog!” The best guard dog!
He said that “she was not even touched”, despite the fact that she was running right into the path of a huge creature.
He added: “I was going to check my mail and didn’t realize that the moose was looking at me from the other side of the street.”
“He started to charge me and my dog Risi barked and let me know we were in danger!
“She lunged at the moose, then turned around and we both herded him inside!”
The difference in size between the two animals was so great that on February 24 an elk ran straight down Risi without hitting her.
Luckily, Risi managed to return without incident and Mr. Henderson called her back to the house to escape the moose, who later left.
People on social media were equally enthusiastic, describing her as “small but mighty.”
Shaun Murphy said, “That doggy saved your bacon. What a little wolf.
Autumn Masgov said; “Lol, Tyler, Risi was about to go for the throat! Photo of her award, please!
Jeff Cooper added: “Hurrah! You can say that elk means business! Look at the ears, the feathers and the whole posture. What a brave puppy!
Risi has received a lot of praise online for her daring actions and many said she deserved a treat for saving her owner.
Moose are tall animals that can be up to seven feet tall at the shoulder, with the largest of them weighing up to 1,300 pounds.
Although they tend to live in rural areas, they are sometimes forced to come into contact with humans.
In the wild, they are able to defend themselves against packs of wolves and grizzly bears.
In January, wildlife officials warned Fairbanks residents to be wary of moose after weather conditions made them more aggressive than usual.
Tony Hollis, a wildlife biologist with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, warned that more snowfall would make them more likely to come into contact with humans.
Experts in the Fairbanks area have warned that aggressive moose may come into contact with humans after heavy snow. (File photo)
“Because of this deep snow, moose don’t want to be in the snow,” he said.
“They want to walk on sidewalks, or on well-trodden paths, or on prepared paths where it is easier for them to move.
“They don’t want to walk in deep snow, and so if they are forced, they become aggressive…just stay on solid ground.”
People are advised, if they see an elk, to stay inside and wait for it to leave the area rather than approaching it, as this may provoke it.