Moose separated from mom after falling in Colorado wildfire ruins. Then came rescuers

A moose was wandering a part of Colorado devastated by wildfires when it got separated from its mom, state wildlife officials said.

The moose calf got trappedAug. 19 in ruins of a house that had burned to the ground in the East Troublesome Fire, a 193,812-acre wildfire that burned through the state last fall.

A basement foundation 4 feet deep was the only thing left of the house, and the moose became stranded on the other side from its mom, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a Monday news release.

“The calf’s mother would come up to the foundation, walk over to the calf and touch muzzles and walk away about 40 yards,” CPW Officer Serena Rocksund said in the news release. “The residents saw the calf and mother were stressed and needed help so they called CPW.”

Neighbors rushed to help the moose. They made a ramp of boards hoping the calf could use it to climb out. The moose couldn’t make the climb because it was too steep, wildlife officials said.

Rescuers tranquilized both moose and took them to “a more suitable habitat,” Parks and Wildlife officials said.

“We’ve had some increased reports of human-moose conflicts near Grand Lake since the East Troublesome Fire burn and we didn’t want to take the risk that this moose might get trapped again if we released it near the burn area,” Area Wildlife Manager Jeromy Huntington said in the news release.

Moose attacks in Colorado are increasing, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. They are protective animals and will defend their territory and young.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife knows of at least 15 moose conflicts since 2013 where people have been injured. Dogs were involved in almost all of those conflicts, wildlife officials said.

Moose are massive animals, weighing between 800 and 1,200 pounds. They can stand up to 6 feet tall, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. They are “extremely curious” and want to check everything out.

If a moose starts getting aggressive, it could have laid-back ears, hair on its neck raised and start licking its snout, wildlife officials said. Hikers should keep pets away and avoid animals that are acting abnormally.

“If a moose displays aggressive behavior or begins to charge, run as fast as you can and try to put a large object between you such as a boulder, car or tree,” wildlife officials said. “While moose encounters with people are quite common, moose cause few problems.”

This story was originally published August 23, 2021 at 2:01 PM with the headline "Moose separated from mom after falling in Colorado wildfire ruins. Then came rescuers."