One man was seriously injured Wednesday after a moose charged him, another person and a dog in Colorado, authorities said.
According to a news release from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, the moose attacked near the West Magnolia Trailhead, a United States Forest Service property, near the town of Nederland. The animal charged at least three times while a deputy was tending to the injured people, the release stated.
Officials with the Colorado Department of Wildlife said the man who was hurt badly is 31 years old, KCNC-TV reported. They said the woman sustained minor injuries and the dog was also hurt, according to the television station.
Calving Season To Blame After Colorado Couple Charged By Moose During Hike https://t.co/EMgXlr6TTc pic.twitter.com/gHi59yvXxm
— CBSDenver (@CBSDenver) June 8, 2022
The hikers were surprised by the cow moose and her calf at about 8 a.m. MDT, KCNC reported.
“They went around a bend in the trail where there’s a big rock nearby and had a surprise encounter,” Jason Clay, the public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, told the television station.
A deputy encountered the cow moose as he was searching for injured parties, according to the sheriff’s office. He attempted to scare the animal by firing bean bag rounds at it. The moose ran away but returned while the deputy was assisting the injured people, KDVR-TV reported.
According to KCNC, a cyclist saw the moose and fired bear spray at it, causing the animal to return to the trailhead two more times.
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 deputy fired a warning shot the second time and the moose ran away, but returned when the deputy was evacuating the injured man, the sheriff’s office said.
The deputy fired again and killed the animal, according to the sheriff’s office.
Clay told KDVR that there were four moose attacks involving humans in 2021, and three of those attacks involved dogs as a catalyst.
He added that moose view dogs as predators.
“They want you out of their space,” Clay told KCNC. “They don’t want you around. They don’t want your presence.”
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