According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), a young bull moose was tranquilized and relocated to Craig on Tuesday afternoon after being spotted frequently wandering through a mountain town parking garage in Vail. 

The young bull moose was observed on the ground level of the parking garages in Lionshead Village, licking the walls and making its way through several of the surrounding neighborhoods.  

“He was pretty regularly coming into the parking structure first thing in the morning and then would kind of clear out before it got too busy,” Duval said. “This is the primary parking place for the folks accessing Lionshead Village as well as the Vail Health hospital.”

Despite efforts to remove residual salts that may have served as an attractant, the moose continued to remain in the area.

The moose spent the majority of its day in the area, displaying behavior indicating it was becoming accustomed to the area and reluctant to leave on its own.

Vail Fire, Vail Police, and crews from the Town of Vail Public Works department teamed up to relocate the 750-pound moose out of the parking garage. The moose was estimated to be between 2 to 3 years old.

“Everything went smoothly this morning, no issues,” Wildlife Officer Devin Duval said of the operation to tranquilize the bull, which started around 8:25 a.m. “We were definitely within that human health and safety realm where there could potentially be an injury to a human or the animal. That is the reason we decided to move it.”

For more information on living with moose, please visit cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/LivingwithWildlifeMoose.aspx.

Editor’s Note: Keep Wildlife WILD. Always maintain a safe distance from moose or any other wildlife you may encounter. Do not approach or ever try to feed wild animals, and please remember to keep pets leashed.