A woman in Steamboat Springs was seriously injured last Sunday after she startled a cow moose with calves while walking her dogs in an area near River Creek Park located across from the intersection of U.S. Highway 40 and Walton Creek Road.

“I want to reiterate that this woman was doing something totally within her rights and being as responsible about it as she could. It is just that this time of year these places have an elevated risk, even for our most seasoned veterans,” said David Rehak Suma, Colorado Parks and Wildlife manager.

Rehak Suma believes there is a good chance there will be more conflicts between wildlife and humans as more development moves into the area and the area’s moose population continues to grow at a rapid pace. The Steamboat Springs incident was one of three in Colorado last weekend, which also included Sunday’s attack.

Rehak Suma said he has spoken to the woman who was flown to Denver after the incident on the phone.

“I have spoken with her, and she is recovering. She did have to go through some surgery to repair some broken bones,” Rehak Suma said.

On May 30, two women walking four dogs off-leash encountered a cow moose along Fourmile Creek Road in Fairplay. The moose charged and trampled the women multiple times before they were able to climb onto a nearby roof to escape. A neighbor hazed the moose away with a fire extinguisher. Neither woman sought medical treatment.

On May 31, a couple was returning home from a walk with their dog near Columbine Lake in Grand Lake when a cow moose charged at them, knocking the woman to the ground. The woman managed to crawl under a small storage area next to their house, but the moose continued to charge and attempt to stomp her. When the moose continued to show aggression towards the woman and showed no signs of leaving, the boyfriend shot and killed the moose.

In Steamboat, Rehak Suma said people’s desire to get outdoors and the growing number of people in the area has led to more interactions with wildlife the past several years. Most of the time the encounters are not as serious as what happened in River Creek Park.

“We have more moose on less habitat,” Rehak Suma said. “It’s important to realize that despite all the development going on we do live in their habitat.”

Rehak Suma advises those heading outside in Steamboat Springs, and the areas that surround town, to be vigilant — especially this time of year when moose are calving and welcoming new babies. He said it’s not concrete, but for moose the calving season typically begins in May and lasts through mid-June.

He said moose like to be near the water in the lowlands, and in protected areas filled with willows, tall grasses that lend themselves toward natural hiding places.

“People in Steamboat Springs really do love to recreate. But it’s important to realize that you’re going to be recreating potentially in these calving grounds,” Rehak Suma said.

“You need to be extra cautious going into them and should avoid them if you can for the sake of the animals — try to constrain yourself to areas where there are clear lines of sight, so that you do know really everything that is or could be around you if you want to avoid this kind of thing,” he added.

He said it is also important for people to give wildlife space and to stay back to ensure safety for both the person and the animal. In Steamboat Springs, it is common to see deer, elk, bears and moose and Rehak Suma said if it is clear that the animal has taken notice — you are too close.

He added that if an adult moose is pinning their ears back or waving their head back and forth, those are warning signs that should be taken seriously.

“They are letting you know that you’re in their personal space,” Rehak Suma said. “… and while they’re giving you warning signs, they might just flip that switch. If they can notice you from that distance, you are too close.”

He said that is even more important this year because there is an abundance of cow moose with calves in the Yampa Valley this spring.

“(The moose) population is rapidly expanding all around the state,” Rehak Suma said. “For example, the same day that we were relocating this cow with her two calves one of our officers saw a different cow with two calves down in Rotary Park, and we had another report of a different cow with a calf down by the pond. I saw moose give birth over on the Preist Creek Ranch down by the highway. So, you’re looking at just in that concentrated area, a doubling of the population this year, at least.”