Mother Moose Attacks Man and His Dog While Protecting Calves

A Colorado couple’s dog had to be euthanized after it was stomped on by a mother moose who was protecting her two calves.

The incident happened on the evening of Monday, May 26, on private property in Teller County near Woodland Park, KRDO, KOAA and Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed. 

A man, whose name has not publicly been released, was reportedly attempting to take his dogs inside when the attack happened. As the mother moose barreled toward him, he hid under a nearby vehicle.

Unfortunately, his canine companions were trampled. One was euthanized due to the injuries it sustained, while the other is still recovering. 

Just one day before the encounter, a moose charged the man’s wife, but she made it into their home before being injured. 

“This incident is a reminder of why we warn everyone to respect wildlife and give them their space,” said Travis Sauder, CPW Assistant Area Wildlife Manager. “We know Colorado residents love their dogs. But it’s important to understand that moose see dogs as predators and react in defense of themselves and their young.”

He continued, “This cow moose was exhibiting classic protective behavior of its calves. Be sure to give wildlife extra space, especially when they are raising their young. And it is always best to keep dogs on leashes or in a fenced area to reduce the chances of an incident with wildlife.”

CPW estimates around 3,600 moose to be currently living in Colorado, compared to 2,250 in 2013. 

Approximately two weeks before the moose attack that led to the death of the Teller County family’s dog, resident Paul Whitfield had his own close encounter with one of the animals at Manitou Lake.

“I went, ‘That’s a really tall horse,’” he said in an on-camera interview with KRDO. “And it occurred to me that that’s a moose.”

He was fishing when the young moose came into his territory.

“I thought, ‘I don’t have anywhere to go,’” Whitfield said, calling himself lucky that the close call was just with a calf as the mothers can be “protective” and “aggressive.”

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“Moose – called elk outside of North America – are the second largest land animal on the continent and Colorado’s largest big game animal,” per CPW. The animals can grow up to 9 1⁄2 feet long, be six feet tall at the shoulder, and weigh more than 1,000 pounds. 

CPW spokesperson Joey Livingston shared some tips on how humans and wildlife can coexist. 

“Generally, this first week of June is when we start seeing the baby deer on the ground,” he said. “And the deer will still defend their young, just like the moose this moose did. And so if you let your dogs outside, try to go outside first and make sure there’s no deer, no fawns in the area.”