Officers with Colorado Parks and Wildlife removed a ~2 ½-year-old-moose from a neighborhood in Colorado’s second largest city late last week, helping to return the animal to the appropriate habitat.
According to a post made to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife SE Region social media page, the ~700 pound moose was removed from a Colorado Springs neighborhood on Friday, April 24th. The crew immobilized the large female, placed her in a litter, and carried out to the wildlife trailer.
Officers immobilized the ~700lb moose, placed her in a litter, and carried her to our wildlife trailer. (More) pic.twitter.com/umhFYSyIgX
— CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) April 25, 2026
Once safely in the trailer, officers administered a wake-up drug for the animal and made sure she was on her feet and ready for transport before bringing her to the appropriate habitat west of the city.
Once in the trailer, officers administered a wake-up drug and made certain she was on her feet and ready for transport to appropriate habitat west of Colorado Springs. pic.twitter.com/SXsi1bfjMJ
— CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) April 25, 2026
Based on historical records dating back to the 1850s, while moose did wander into northern Colorado from Wyoming, there was never an established stable breeding population in the state. During the 1960s and the early 1970s, the Colorado Division of Wildlife (now Colorado Parks and Wildlife) began introducing the massive animals into the state.
Today Colorado is home to more than 3,000 moose, marking one of the fastest growing population in the lower 48 states. Colorado has Shiras moose, the smallest of the four moose subspecies. They’re most common in North Park and on the Grand Mesa, but they’ve expanded to most of the mountainous regions of Colorado including the front range.
