DENVER — Wildlife officers moved a young moose back to the mountains on Monday from Strasburg, which is about 40 miles east of Denver and not typical or suitable moose habitat.
It’s still not fully clear how the young cow moose, which Colorado Parks and Wildlife said was 2-4 years old and weighed about 700 pounds, ended up in Strasburg and on the plains.
But on Monday, it ended up in a person’s backyard there. CPW wildlife officials tranquilized the moose around 10 a.m. Monday, moved her onto a horse trailer, took her to the Strasburg Fire Department for a cool-down, then back up to moose habitat in the mountains.
“We did not move her due to aggression,” said CPW District Wildlife Manager Travis Harris. “It was based on her location in the town of Strasburg. There is no nearby available water and this is not suitable moose habitat. Her chance of finding her way into a natural drainage was slim.”
Harris said officials wanted to move her because school was starting in the area, among other reasons.
“This was a really good thing for the Strasburg community,” Harris said. “It was really great for all of us to come together to successfully tranquilize and relocate this moose. And for the moose, she’ll be much happier in the place where she’s been located.”