GRAND LAKE, Colo. — After responding to two moose sightings in Grand Lake on Friday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) shared this message: Moose aren't pets, and it's illegal to feed and touch them.
District Wildlife Manager Serena Rocksund witnessed people exhibiting dangerous behavior Friday around a female moose and her yearling that were in front of a restaurant on the Grand Avenue Boardwalk, CPW said in a news release.
While wildlife officers were downtown, they learned about an abandoned moose yearling that was bedding down in front of businesses and on porches. People were feeding and petting the calf, the agency said.
> Video above: Please leave the moose in Granby alone, aired Jan. 14, 2022.
The officers decided to move the calf outside of town because she was becoming too comfortable around humans.
“Moose are common in Grand Lake throughout the year. It’s not uncommon to see them on or near the Grand Avenue Boardwalk, and the swim beach at Grand Lake,” Rocksund said. “On Friday, we witnessed people getting dangerously close to the moose and evidence of illegal feeding. Caution and common sense go a long way in preventing injury or death to humans and wildlife.”
CPW reminded people that it's dangerous to feed and touch wildlife, both for themselves and the animals. CPW offered the following advice when encountering moose:
- Give the moose space and time to move. Don't attempt to move the moose.
- How close is too close? "Extend your arm out as far as it can go and hold up your thumb as though you are giving the moose a thumbs-up sign. If you cannot cover the moose with your entire thumb, you are too close and need to slowly back away from the moose," CPW says.
- Keep dogs leashed at all times. Dogs that are off-leash are at risk of being injured or killed by animals trying to defend themselves.
- Feeding wildlife is illegal and harmful to their health.
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