79-year-old woman attacked by moose in Glenwood Springs
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A 79-year-old woman is recovering after being attacked by a moose in a rural area outside of a home south of Glenwood Springs.
The attack happened on Friday, August 13, around 9 p.m. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the woman was dog-sitting for one of her tenants living at the house. Earlier that day, she had seen a cow moose and its two calves in the yard.
After a few hours, the woman no longer saw the animals and believed it was safe to take the dog out on a leash into the yard.
That's when the attack happened. Another resident at the house witnessed the cow attacking and stomping on the victim.
The woman was taken to a local hospital and was later transported by helicopter to another hospital on the Front Range due to her extensive injuries and care required.
CPW says the cow and its two calves have reportedly been seen in the area for an extended period of time without incident. No previous aggressive behavior was reported.
“The incident occurred in an area of quality moose habitat and it is known that the moose frequent this area year-round,” said Area Wildlife Manager Matt Yamashita. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the woman. This incident was no fault of her own. Conflicts with moose can happen, even when you follow best practices for living in moose habitat.”
Wildlife officers searched the area for the animals Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. CPW used photos and videos of the moose provided by residents on the day of the attack to try to identify the correct animal. For now, the search has been discontinued unless they get new information.
Residents told CPW there are multiple sets of cows and calves in the area, making it difficult to find the specific animal involved in the attack.
“This likely was an incident of a cow protecting her calves,” Yamashita said. “Since Friday night we have been talking with the local residents to educate them about living in moose habitat, the potential dangers associated with interacting with moose, and actions they can take to minimize the risk of conflict.”
This isn't the first aggressive moose encounter this year in Colorado. On Saturday, August 7, a man walking along a willow bottom in Clear Creek County was charged by a bull moose he came across. CPW says the man dove behind a tree, which the bull moose hit instead of him. He managed to walk away uninjured.
The man captured the incident on video.
This video is an example of being too close to a bull moose and how quickly they can decide to charge on you.
— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) August 8, 2021
It is from Clear Creek County. The individual just by chance came upon the bull walking along a willow bottom heading towards a lake. pic.twitter.com/Z2usuHpPit
On May 29, a man in Steamboat Springs was knocked on his back and stomped by a cow moose with two calves. The man said his small dog was outside unleashed when he heard it barking and realized a moose was in the area. The attack happened when he stepped forward to grab his dog. CPW says he only suffered minor injuries.
In 2006, a man from Grand Lake was attacked and critically injured by a bull moose as he walked to church. CPW says the man later died from his injuries.
According to CPW, seeing moose roaming the Front Range is a fairly recent occurrence. Until the late 1970s, only a few stray moose would wander into Northern Colorado from herds in Wyoming.
Biologists believe moose managed to migrate and establish herds in Colorado on their own. Since then, CPW says Colorado's moose population is roughly 3,000 animals statewide.
For more information on moose, and how to limit the chances of a possible attack, click here.
