An Aspen Police officer was forced to make a hasty retreat on Monday afternoon after being charged by a pair of moose on the town’s iconic downtown rugby field.
The officer responded to Wagner Park, a prominent green space located in Aspen’s pedestrian core, following reports that two moose were lingering on the grass. When the officer approached to monitor the situation, the animals became agitated and charged. Following standard wildlife safety protocols, the officer retreated to a safe distance without injury.
While moose sightings in Aspen’s dense commercial center remain relatively uncommon, conflicts with the species have risen across the Roaring Fork Valley. Colorado’s modern population stems from a wildlife reintroduction program initiated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in 1978, which established a breeding population in North Park, followed by a second release on the Grand Mesa in the mid-2000s. Naturally migrating along river corridors, the animals settled in the wetlands and willow-rich habitats surrounding Aspen, such as the North Star Nature Preserve.
The location of Monday’s incident, Wagner Park, is essentially a professional sized rugby field that sits directly in the center of the resort town. The field exists today because of a unique agreement brokered in 1967. At the time, Wagner Park was an unkempt municipal lot littered with trash. Steve Sherlock, a local ski instructor and British expatriate, proposed a deal to the Aspen City Council, he would clean and restore the lot in exchange for a permit to host a rugby tournament.
Sherlock subsequently cleared the debris, installed makeshift wooden uprights, and recruited local athletes to form the “Gentlemen of Aspen Rugby Football Club.” The inaugural “Ruggerfest” tournament successfully launched that autumn, cementing a permanent home for the sport in the heart of Aspen.
