Hiking in Lappland in August - what about animals?

Question

I'm planning to hike/wildcamp in finnish Lappland in August, in Viipustunturit and maybe also in Muotkatunturit.

Is there anything special that I should do about the local animals? E.g. in the context of US people advise to cook and eat away from the camp, and hang food on trees to avoid attracting bears (and prevent them from associating humans with food).

According to this answer this should not be necessary in Scandinavia. According to another wolfs are not a problem either. Are there any other animals (apart from mosquitoes and midges) that I should take into account? If yes, how?

Answer 1

Lapland has moose. As AMC Outdoors says in its article Do You Know How to Respond to a Moose Encounter?

Any moose, at any time of year, may respond aggressively if provoked by your presence

The tricky thing is, you may be doing nothing, and a moose will be provoked for reasons unclear even to it. Or it may not. Moose are not the most intelligent of animals.

A moose who feels threatened by your presence will often just move away, but sometimes it will charge you to make you move away. The article gives a rule of thumb for you to judge how close is too close to a moose:

You should be far enough away to get behind the nearest tree before a galloping horse could get there,” explains Kristine Rines, wildlife biologist with New Hampshire Fish and Game and director of the state’s moose program.

The article says that a moose who feels provoked may display warning signs, or it may simply abruptly charge with no warning signs at all. If a moose displays warning signs, for example, laying its ears back, or if it changes its behavior in any way, back away. If the moose approaches you, back away. If it charges, run. Do not stand your ground. Once the moose has driven you far enough away for it to feel unthreatened, it will stop. If the moose knocks you to the ground, continue to try to get away. The good news is

Sustained assaults are rare, however, and the odds of a fatal attack are extremely low.

Don't approach a moose and don't get impatient with a moose who is blocking your way, and, of course, be extra cautious around mothers with calves or during mating season.