MOOSE INJURES COLORADO WOMAN – On Saturday evening, 3/28, in Breckenridge, a Colorado woman was injured by a young bull moose. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officers dispatched the moose after the attack. The woman, in her 50s, was attacked on a street in front of her home. She tried to urge the moose out of the street so traffic could pass.
“Unfortunately, the victim felt too comfortable and got too close. Moose look like big friendly critters but they are tolerant only to a point.”
– Lyle Sidener, Area Wildlife Manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Moose Attacks in Colorado
Sadly, moose attacks are not exactly uncommon in Colorado. In March 2019, two separate moose attacks in Aspen also led to CPW having to dispatch a bull moose. Later in the same year, June, a man was attacked in the Nederland area. In this event CPW chose not to put the moose down because it was likely protecting a calf.
The CPW News Release
Wildlife officers have been busy in Summit County this year. In early March, a woman was cited in Breckenridge for harassing a moose that was in the downtown area. The moose had to be relocated a few days later when spring break visitors refused to leave it alone and it was becoming less tolerant.
Give moose a wide berth. Shiras moose, the subspecies found in Colorado, can weigh between 800 and 1200 pounds as adults. Even young moose can be in the 600 pound range.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers these tips for safety around moose:
Watch for signs of aggression, such as laid back ears, raised hair on the neck, or licking of the snout.
Avoid animals that are behaving belligerently.
Keep pets away, especially dogs, as moose can be quite aggressive toward other animals.
If a moose charges, run and put a large object – car, tree, rock – between you and the moose.
CPW recommends these additional tips for watching and recreating in areas with moose.
Have you experienced a frightening experience with a moose?
