A 79-year-old woman was attacked by a cow moose and severely injured last week, according to a Wednesday news release by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
The woman was attacked around 9 p.m. last Friday in a rural area outside a home south of Glenwood Springs.
The victim was taken to a local hospital and later that same night transported by helicopter to another hospital on the Front Range due to the extent of her injuries and care required.
The woman, who was dog-sitting for one of the tenants living at the house, had seen a cow moose and its two calves in the yard earlier in the day. When the woman no longer saw the moose in the area later that evening and believed it to be safe, she took the dog out on a leash in the yard.
That is when the attack occurred. Another resident of the house then observed the cow stomping on the victim.
“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.”
The cow and its two calves have reportedly been in the area for an extended period of time without incident. No previous aggressive behavior was reported.
Wildlife officers searched for the cow moose and its calves for several days.
Discussions with neighbors revealed that there are several sets of cows with calves in the area, making it challenging to locate the animal involved in the attack. Wildlife officers have now discontinued the search for the moose 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.”
There have been other moose-human incidents this year.
On Aug. 7, a man walking toward a lake in Clear Creek County was charged by a bull moose and avoided injury when he dived behind a tree, which the bull moose rammed.
On May 29 in Steamboat Springs, a man was knocked over and stomped by a cow moose with two calves. The victim stated that his small dog was outside unleashed when he heard it start barking and realized there was a moose in the area. He stepped forward to grab the dog and that is when the moose charged at him. The man suffered minor injuries.
Back in March 2006, a man from Grand Lake was attacked and critically injured by a bull moose as he walked to church, and later died from his injures.
Slight chance of a thunderstorm. Highs in the low 90s and lows in the mid 60s.
Chance of Rain: 31%
Sunrise:06:26:25 AM
Sunset:08:10:05 PM
Humidity: 36%
Wind: SSW @ 11 mph
UV Index: 8 Very High
Sunday Night
Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 66F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.
Mon
31%
63°
87°
MonMonday
87°/63°
Partly cloudy, chance of a thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 80s and lows in the low 60s.
Chance of Rain: 31%
Sunrise:06:27:20 AM
Sunset:08:08:47 PM
Humidity: 52%
Wind: S @ 10 mph
UV Index: 6 High
Monday Night
Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph.
Tue
18%
65°
88°
TueTuesday
88°/65°
Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the upper 80s and lows in the mid 60s.
Chance of Rain: 18%
Sunrise:06:28:15 AM
Sunset:08:07:28 PM
Humidity: 43%
Wind: SSE @ 8 mph
UV Index: 8 Very High
Tuesday Night
A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 65F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.
Wed
15%
66°
92°
WedWednesday
92°/66°
Mostly sunny. Highs in the low 90s and lows in the mid 60s.
Chance of Rain: 15%
Sunrise:06:29:09 AM
Sunset:08:06:09 PM
Humidity: 37%
Wind: SSW @ 9 mph
UV Index: 9 Very High
Wednesday Night
Some clouds early will give way to generally clear conditions overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
Thu
15%
68°
95°
ThuThursday
95°/68°
More sun than clouds. Highs in the mid 90s and lows in the upper 60s.
Chance of Rain: 15%
Sunrise:06:30:04 AM
Sunset:08:04:48 PM
Humidity: 31%
Wind: SW @ 8 mph
UV Index: 9 Very High
Thursday Night
Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
Fri
32%
64°
86°
FriFriday
86°/64°
Partly cloudy with a stray thunderstorm. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s.
Chance of Rain: 32%
Sunrise:06:30:59 AM
Sunset:08:03:27 PM
Humidity: 40%
Wind: SSW @ 8 mph
UV Index: 7 High
Friday Night
Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
Sat
41%
64°
86°
SatSaturday
86°/64°
A few thunderstorms possible. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s.
Chance of Rain: 41%
Sunrise:06:31:54 AM
Sunset:08:02:05 PM
Humidity: 45%
Wind: S @ 8 mph
UV Index: 8 Very High
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy skies. Low 64F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.