“Unprecedented” third moose attack in Estes Park

Early Friday morning, a woman walking her dog at the western end of Lake Estes became the third person in just over a week to have a violent encounter with one of the city’s famous moose.

According to a press release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the woman had her dog on a leash when she startled an elk from about 20 yards away. The victim tried to hide behind a tree but was knocked down and trampled by the elk. The woman’s injuries were so severe that she required medical attention.

Friday’s incident came days after a 4-year-old boy was attacked and trampled by an elk at a playground less than a mile away. His family was able to scare the elk away and the boy was treated at the hospital and released that evening. Officials used beanbag ammunition to chase the elk out of the park, but had closed the playground and parts of the Estes Lake Trail as a precaution.

On May 30, an 8-year-old girl riding her bike in a residential area was attacked and trampled by a moose. The girl was also treated at the hospital and released.

In all three cases, moose calves were subsequently found in the area.

“Elk with young calves are notoriously aggressive, but we have never seen a year like this,” CPW Area Wildlife Manager Jason Duetsch said in a statement. “All three attacks were unprovoked and unfortunate accidents. We have no clear evidence that these attacks came from the same animal, which underscores how unusual this behavior was for the elk.”

CPW warns residents and visitors of Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park to be extra vigilant around moose until calving season ends in the next few weeks.

“Although it is a natural reaction for elk to be very defensive during calving season, it is not often that they injure anyone,” Duetsch said.

CPW asks people to respect trails and parks closed because of moose and never disturb moose calves or other young wildlife. In all three attacks, however, the victims were a fair distance from the animals that attacked them.