Women Attacked Says Moose 'Grunted' Then 'Charged'
LAKEWOOD, Colo (CBS4) - Two women were treated at St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood for injuries sustained during a moose attack in Gilpin County on Sunday.
One of the women, a 57-year-old, was in the Intensive Care Unit in fair condition. The other woman, Jacqui Boron, told reporters in a news conference Monday at the hospital she has 10 staples in her head, 15 stitches in her leg, four broken ribs and bruises all over her body.
"I'm sore all over now. My muscles and joints hurt," Boron told CBS4.
Boron, 50, and her friend were walking their two dogs behind their houses in a subdivision north of Black Hawk when they found themselves face-to-face with a moose.
"All of a sudden, I looked up and he was looking right at me, grunted and then charged ... with his head down. When his head was down he got me in the chest and that threw me back," Boron said.
Ellen Divis was kicked by the moose, but she managed to get up and run for help. Boron says she too tried to get up, but the moose kept attacking.
"When I fell back, he got me here," Boron said indicating her bicep. "And when I curled up forward ... that's when he got me on the head."
She says the moose came at her two or three times before she was able to get to a tree and hide. The moose eventually ran off.
Both of the women's dogs also ran off during the attack. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials believe the dogs may have spooked the moose.
"Their natural predator are wolves. When they see dogs, they pretty much think wolves," said Jennifer Churchill, with the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
Wildlife officials say hiding by the tree is likely what saved Boron's life. They are warning everyone to be aware while walking in wildland areas.
--Written for CBSDenver.com by Special Projects Producer Libby Smith
