A recent wildlife rescue that took place in Colorado Springs highlights how calling to report an animal in a place it shouldn’t be can lead to a positive result – as well as how Colorado’s moose population continues to be present in places where it wasn’t until recent years.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, a young cow moose was recently spotted in a local neighborhood. While smaller cervids, like deer, are common in town, a moose in the middle of a neighborhood isn’t. Moose might look friendly, but they tend to be aggressive when humans get too close or when dogs are present – and an angry moose isn’t something you want to encounter on a morning walk.

In order to create a safer situation for local residents and the moose, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife team responded, sedating the moose and then lifting it onto a special stretcher for transport into a trailer. At a weight of about 700 pounds, a staff of eight can be seen transporting the moose in video footage from the scene.

The moose soon woke up and was wide awake for a brief road trip for its release into more suitable moose habitat west of town.

While it wasn’t noted whether or not this specific response was due to a resident calling about the situation, many times when wildlife gets relocated, this is the case. Wildlife in civilization can pose a variety of threats to both animal and human safety, with the situation also presenting a non-natural environment that can impact normal animal behavior – bears learning to seek food in trash cans, for example.

Because of this, it’s important to contact the local Colorado Parks and Wildlife office if a moose or other species seems lost in unfamiliar terrain. Experts can help get the animal back to where it’s supposed to be.

This case also serves as a good reminder that the moose population has continued to spread outside of northern Colorado. Moose sightings in the Pikes Peak region have become more common in recent years – another good reason to keep dogs on a leash during a hike.

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