[WATCH] Colorado rangers track down 750-pound moose with help of military officials
Video screenshot courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the U.S. Army teamed up earlier this week to help catch a wanted 750-pound bull moose.
The moose was first spotted Tuesday wandering around on a golf course along CO Highway 115 in Colorado Springs.
How many @COParksWildlife officers does it take to catch a 750 lbs bull moose? An army! And sometimes it takes the U.S. Army, too! And that’s what happened today when a 1-2 year old bull moose showed up on post @USArmy_FtCarson. It took a joint operation to catch it. (1 of 6) pic.twitter.com/kPjwfqF7DO
— CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) July 22, 2021
But the real adventure started when CPW Area Wildlife Manager Cody Wigner decided to catch the moose and relocate it to a safer area.
“A moose among golfers, vehicles running at high speeds and neighbors walking dogs is a dangerous mix,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) explained in a tweet.
More than a dozen wildlife officials worked to track down the moose for several hours on Tuesday but were unable to catch him. The moose, estimated to be between one to two years old, was spotted again on Thursday crossing the highway onto Fort Carson property.
A team of a dozen @COParksWildlife tracked the moose for hours Tuesday but couldn’t catch it. On Thursday, it crossed the highway and was spotted on Fort Carson. CPW teamed with Fort Carson Conservation Law Enforcement officers to track it five hours and tranquilize it. (3/6) pic.twitter.com/rYmJ1FDGPL
— CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) July 22, 2021
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Fort Carson Conservation Law Enforcement officers teamed up with CPW rangers, tracking down the moose for five hours. The moose was tranquilized and safely relocated to the mountains.
Cody Wigner, @COParksWildlife Area Wild Manager for the #ColoradoSprings region, praised @USArmy_FtCarson for helping rescue the moose from its bad spot. “We appreciate all their help,” Wigner said. And the moose didn’t seem to mind as it checked out its new mountain home. (6/6) pic.twitter.com/alqAB9HFuf
— CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) July 22, 2021
But it was a wild rescue for CPW and Army officers. The moose bolted after being darted and fell into a nearby creek. Crews rushed to surround the moose to prevent him from drowning. The moose was rolled onto tarps and carried out of the creek onto a front-end loader where it was transported up the embankment to a trailer.
Here’s the actual release. This bull moose was reluctant to leave the trailer. So wait for it!
This is what @COParksWildlife staff live for . . . rescuing a wild animal from a bad situation and sending it back into the wild. pic.twitter.com/iDGCw7RcSg— CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) July 22, 2021
The statewide moose population is estimated by CPW to be around 3,000 animals.
Contact your local Colorado Parks and Wildlife office for help regarding any wildlife issues. For a list of regional and area offices, please click here.
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