8-year-old girl attacked by elk in Estes Park

An 8-year-old girl was attacked by an elk while riding her bike in an Estes Park neighborhood Thursday afternoon, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said.

The girl was riding her bike around 1 p.m. Thursday when a female moose approached her about 180 feet away and kicked her multiple times, state officials said in a news release Friday.

She was taken to a hospital for treatment and released later on Thursday.

A game warden later found a female elk and her young calf in the area, and the elk alarm responded aggressively toward the officer, according to CPW.

The officer frightened the elk with a bean bag volley, after which the elk stopped its aggressive behavior. State officials returned to the area Friday and took the calf to a state wildlife lab for treatment. Officers will continue to frighten elk in the area as needed to keep them from interacting with people, agency officials said.

Officials also put up signs warning of the moose’s aggressive behavior.

While it is natural for elk to defend themselves during calving season, it is not common for them to harm humans, especially a child, Jason Duetsch, CPW area wildlife manager, said in a statement.

“We are pleased that the girl is recovering from her injuries and wish her a speedy recovery,” said Duetsch.