A moose, believed to be protecting her calves, recently attacked a 79-year-old woman who was walking a dog outside of a home in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The terrifying incident happened on August 13 – according to a release from Colorado Parks & Wildlife, the woman had seen the moose with two calves earlier in the day, but thought that the family had left the area.

The attack happened around 9 p.m. the same night after the woman, who was pet-sitting, took the dog outside on leash.  A witness stated that the moose was stomping on the elderly woman, who was injured badly enough that she had to be airlifted from the initial hospital that she had been taken to.

Area Wildlife Manager Matt Yamashita commented on the attack:

“The incident occurred in an area of quality moose habitat and it is known that the moose frequent this area year-round. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the woman. This incident was no fault of her own. Conflicts with moose can happen, even when you follow best practices for living in moose habitat.”

The cow believed to be responsible for the attack has been in the area for awhile; no previous signs of aggression had been reported. Wildlife officers attempted to locate the cow that was responsible for the attack, but gave up the search after failing to find the one that stomped on the woman.

Yamashita stated:

“This likely was an incident of a cow protecting her calves. Since Friday night we have been talking with the local residents to educate them about living in moose habitat, the potential dangers associated with interacting with moose and actions they can take to minimize the risk of conflict.”

(Stock image of moose and calf via Pixabay)

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