Man Recovering From Broken Ribs After Moose Attack Near Nederland
NEDERLAND, Colo. (CBS4)- A man is recovering at home after being attacked by a moose. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers believe the reason for the attack is because a mother was protecting her calf.
"[The victim] was in some thick willows and happened to startle a cow moose."
Jason Clay with Colorado Parks and Wildlife recently released a video on moose safety.
"With moose you want to try to move and not let it get you, because if it gets up and knocks you down then it can be pouncing on top of you," said Clay.
CBS4's Joel Hillan talked to the victim by phone Friday and he said that's what happened to him.
After the moose knocked him down, he said that she came back and got him again, breaking several ribs and puncturing a lung.
"They are Colorado's largest mammal. They can weigh up to 1,000, 6-foot tall at the shoulders. They may look lumbering but they move very, very quickly," said Clay.
The man said he jumped in a nearby pond to escape, then walked back to the house where his wife called an ambulance. CPW says his dog was with him.
"Dogs agitate wildlife a lot because they can resemble a predator being a wolf," Clay said. "They will charge at that dog and then the dog will follow back to its owner looking for help and then you have a moose right on your tail."
A reminder that nature is as dangerous as it is beautiful.
"Be aware that the calving season is now, and not just moose, but deer and elk too will be more aggressive to protect their fawns and calves because this is the time that they are very susceptible to predation."