(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife said they tranquilized a moose on Tuesday, June 24, in a neighborhood in northern Colorado Springs.
According to Corey Adler, District Wildlife Manager with CPW, on Tuesday, he was called to the area of Cottonwood Creek Park about a moose seen in the area. Adler said the 650lb cow moose likely traveled along Cottonwood Creek from the west, as Cottonwood Creek has vegetation that moose prefer.
CPW had to locate the moose several times before she was found in an area that allowed CPW to tranquilize her. The moose was in the creek and required a wench to bring the moose up from the creek and into a trailer.
Adler said moose can overheat, and officers noticed the moose was stressed, so they asked for assistance from the nearby fire station to spray cold water on her and keep her cool until a wake-up drug was administered.
“There are a lot more moose in Colorado than people know, and they are becoming more and more populated everywhere. We have a great population of them just west of I-25 in Pike National Forest. I want to advise everyone that you will run into moose while you are out in the forest,” said Adler. “When you are with your dog, we highly recommend you have it on a leash, because the moose think it is a predator, so having that dog on a leash or not taking your dog into the deep woods is a really good thing.”
The moose was later taken to a better habitat within Southeast Colorado, where she can thrive.
