Story By: Gheorghi Caraseni, Sub Editor: Michael Leidig,  Agency: Central European News

This is the moment several men in a boat chase after a scared moose because they want to take selfies with it, then abandon it when the animal becomes stuck in a muddy riverbank where they laugh as they abandon it.

The incident was filmed in the far-eastern Russian republic of Sakha when the group of pals in a boat spotted the moose and wanted to take images with it.

In the video, widely shared on Russian social network VK, the moose is seen wading through the water to apparently escape the attentions of several men in a boat.

The moose crosses the river to the opposite bank where it tries to leave the water and escape the men, but it apparently becomes stuck in the thick sludge.

The struggling moose casts the camera a frightened look and tries to free itself from the mud but is too weak to do so.

The group then turns the boat around and leaves the moose stuck in the sludge as one of them laughs while they slowly move away from the scene.

The video sparked outrage online with many netizens calling the incident animal abuse.

VK user ‘Sk1nfac’ commented: “I really wanted that moose to kick those idiots right in their stupid heads.”