My two cents without having an idea of the environment they were spotted in except it's probably step terrain with cold streams and alpine lakes, is that a Moose in summer bulks up on aquatic vegetation for calories and sodium load, you'd think by now one would have been spotted in the water, also younger bulls during rut travel miles looking for a mate and are pretty much fearless, the fact a roaring Wapiti hunter hasn't been charged by a love-sick moose never mind heard one is strange if they did exist. But I wouldn't know how remote this area of the fiordland is so anything could be possible.
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