Between Friday, May 30, and Sunday, June 1st, three separate cow moose attacks occurred in Colorado sparking a warning from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
The first attack occurred on Friday, May 30, when two women were walking four dogs off-leash when they encountered a cow moose along Fourmile Creek Road in Fairplay. The two women were charged and trampled by the moose multiple times before managing to climb onto a nearby roof. A neighbor then forced away the moose with a fire extinguisher.
Fortunately neither women required medical treatment. CPW officers found two cow moose when responding to the scene and were unable to definitively identify which one was involved in the attack.
On Saturday, May 31st, a couple was returning home from walking their dog when a cow moose charged at them near Columbine Lake in Grand Lake. The woman was knocked to the ground where she managed to crawl under a small storage area next to their house, but the moose continued to attack. Eventually the boyfriend shot and killed the animal.
The woman received injuries to her face, shoulder, and arms and was treated on scene. The man was not cited as it was determined that the moose was shot in self-defense while actively posing a threat to human health and safety. The couple’s dog was on a leash at the time and it’s believed that the cow was protecting a calf that was bedded out of sight. CPW officers located the calf moose and it was humanely euthanized by CPW.
“The decision to euthanize the calf was not easy to make. While rehabilitation can be successful in some cases, it’s not a guaranteed solution. In the case of this moose calf, taking it to a rehab at such a young age would not be in the best interest of the animal’s long-term survival in the wild.” – Hot Sulphur Springs Area Wildlife Manager Jeromy Huntington.
Finally on the evening of Sunday, June 1, a woman was walking her two dogs at River Creek Park in Steamboat Springs when a cow moose attacked. A man passing by on a paddleboard found the woman and began helping her toward the parking lot when the moose returned and kicked him. The woman was transported to the hospital by EMS with serious injuries before being flown to a facility on the Front Range after evaluation.
Both dogs were leashed at the time of the attack. CPW officers found a cow moose with two calves in the area and believe the cow was protecting her young. CPW and the City of Steamboat Springs have implemented a closure at River Creek Park through Wednesday, June 4.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife reminds the public to be aware of potentially aggressive cow moose while recreating outdoors during calving season. Most moose conflicts involve dogs, an dog should be sure to keep their dogs on-leash to avoid startling moose when recreating near riparian or willow habitats.
