According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, a moose has trampled a man that was walking his dogs in the area of Coal Creek Canyon on Monday morning, resulting in hospitalization. Coal Creek is roughly 8 miles southwest of Boulder.

The man, described as in his late-50s, was walking two dogs along Coal Creek near Hummingbird Lane when the attack occurred. The attack has been attributed to the man surprising the moose while she was with her calf, which prompted the cow moose to charge and start stomping. According to officials, the hairpin nature of the curve in the trail prevented the man from seeing the moose until it was too late.

The man was carrying a firearm at the time and fired two gunshots into the ground in attempt to scare the moose. That worked, with the moose and her calf retreating from the scene uninjured.

The man sustained non-life-threatening injuries, but was hospitalized. The dogs were off-leash at the time and were not injured.

With an estimated 3,000 moose spread around Colorado since their introduction to the state in the late 1900s, encounters aren’t uncommon and should be approached with caution.

Moose can be aggressive, especially when defending young. Dogs can often become a target, making it important to keep animals leashed in moose territory.

If you spot a moose in the wild, give it space. If a moose attempts to charge, try to put trees and rocks between yourself and the moose’s line of approach.

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