Three moose encounters injured multiple people in Colorado's high country over a few days, leading wildlife officials to urge caution among dog owners, Outside reported.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (@COParksWildlife) shared a warning on the social platform X after the incidents. Each attack involved someone out with their pet who stumbled upon a mother moose during calving season.
Give moose PLENTY OF SPACE AND RESPECT, especially during the spring. Female (cow) moose w/ calves can be very protective of their young, they may charge, kick or defend themselves if they feel you're too close. pic.twitter.com/34HXctIVm1
— Colorado Parks and Wildlife (@COParksWildlife) June 2, 2025
"Give moose PLENTY OF SPACE AND RESPECT, especially during the spring," CPW wrote. "Female (cow) moose w/ calves can be very protective of their young, they may charge, kick or defend themselves if they feel you're too close."
The encounters happened in Fairplay, Grand Lake, and Steamboat Springs between May 30 and June 1.
In Fairplay, two women out with four off-leash dogs escaped a charging moose by scrambling onto a nearby roof. In Grand Lake, a man fatally shot a moose after it attacked and pinned his partner. The worst case unfolded in Steamboat Springs, where a woman walking a pair of dogs on leashes suffered severe injuries and was flown to a hospital in Denver.
These situations put wildlife in danger, too. The moose that died in Grand Lake left behind a calf, and CPW made the difficult decision to euthanize the young animal because it could not survive on its own. In Steamboat Springs, officials captured and moved a mother moose and her two calves away from the populated area.
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CPW says dogs can provoke defensive reactions because moose see them as predators similar to wolves. If you're out in moose habitat, whether locally or on a vacation, take care of yourself. Keep your dog on a short leash, choose trails where you can see ahead, and make noise so you don't catch any animals off guard.
Commenters on the CPW post shared their own close calls.
"Encountered a cow and a calf last year on my daily walk about a 200 yards up the road I was on. Slowly turned around and walked the other way. Lots of space," one person wrote.
Another commenter added: "I was at Mt. Maryland, 2 weeks ago, and walked up on one sleeping. Never ran so fast in my life."
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