Moose killed after charging and injuring two people and a dog in Boulder County
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A Boulder County Sheriff's Deputy was forced to kill a moose after two people and a dog was attacked in southwest Boulder County.
The Boulder County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) said they received a call Monday at 8 a.m. about an injured person after being charged by a moose near the West Magnolia Trailhead, a United State Forest Service property near Nederland.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officials, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office, and the Nederland Police Department responded to the incident.
We are one of several agencies (with @BldrCOSheriff & Nederland PD) who are currently responding to an incident involving a moose near Nederland. This is an active incident and we are still gathering more information.
— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) June 8, 2022
The BCSO says the moose charged at two people and a dog. The 31-year-old man sustained serious bodily injury, the female sustained minor injuries, and their dog sustained injuries.
At the scene, a sheriff's deputy encountered the cow moose as he was looking for the injured parties who were yelling for help.
The deputy tried scaring the moose off by firing bean bag rounds at it. The moose ran away. While he was trying to help the two victims, the moose returned and the deputy fired a warning shot for the second time. The moose left the area for a second time.
When the deputy and medics were evacuating the man, however, the moose returned to the area for the third time and continued to charge at people. Unfortunately, the BCSO says the deputy discharged his weapon, killing the moose.
CPW said they'll be investigating the circumstances around this cow moose. According to the BCSO, this is the third known moose attack on a person so far in 2022.
In the two previous incidents, cows were exhibiting defensive behavior with nearby calves.
This isn't the first incident involving a moose Wednesday. Earlier in the morning, CPW said wildlife officers tranquilized a yearling cow moose by Todd Creek Golf Club in Thornton to relocate her back to the mountains.
This morning in Thornton by Todd Creek Golf Club, Wildlife Officers tranquilized a yearling cow moose and loaded it up into a trailer to relocate it back to the mountains. This is the moose that came out of Boulder Canyon on Sunday, and was in Erie Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/O7XhUeUNlQ
— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) June 8, 2022
According to CPW, that moose came out of Boulder Canyon on Sunday and was spotted in Erie on Tuesday.
To learn more about moose and what to do if you encounter one, please click here.
