GRAND LAKE, Colo. — After a moose calf fell into the basement foundation of a house burned in the East Troublesome Fire, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers helped rescue it and reunite the calf with its mother.
On Aug. 19, residents of the Aspen Pine Estates in Grand Lake reported the calf fell in the four-foot deep foundation, which was all that was left of the burnt home.
The residents had tried to create a ramp with boards to help the calf climb out, but it wasn’t able to get enough traction to make the climb.
“The calf’s mother would come up to the foundation, walk over to the calf and touch muzzles and walk away about 40 yards,” said Serena Rocksund, the responding CPW officer. “The residents saw the calf and mother were stressed and needed help so they called CPW.”
Rocksund was able to tranquilize both the cow and calf, and they were placed inside a wildlife transport trailer to a more suitable habitat near Craig later that day. CPW did not want to release the animals back in the East Troublesome burn area out of concern they might get trapped again.
“It’s a good reminder that folks need to fence off foundations and cover their window wells because animals can get trapped and die,” CPW Area Wildlife Manager Jeromy Huntington said.
According to Huntington, CPW has been working to grow the moose population near Meeker and Craig, so the rescue and relocation was “a win-win” for the CPW project and the moose.