Moose Falls Into Basement Of Home Destroyed By East Troublesome Fire
GRAND LAKE, Colo. (CBS4) - A moose fell into a basement in the foundation of a home that burned to the ground in the East Troublesome Fire and had to be tranquilized by Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers. It happened last Thursday near Grand Lake.
Neighbors found the young moose stuck in the basement and tried to use long pieces of wood to help it climb out. The basement is many feet deep and the animal couldn't get enough traction. After that didn't work they contacted CPW.
CPW arrived to try to help the moose calf and also found the mother moose close by. Both were "stressed," according to the wildlife agency.
"The calf's mother would come up to the foundation, walk over to the calf and touch muzzles and walk away about 40 yards," CPW Officer Serena Rocksund said in a statement.
Rangers then tranquilized the mother and calf. After that they put them in a trailer and relocated them both to an area near Craig where CPW is trying to expand the moose population.
The East Troublesome Fire scorched 193,812 acres last fall, primarily in Grand County. It destroyed hundreds of homes. Wildlife Manager Jeromy Huntington said that people whose houses burned should fence off the foundations to avoid the possibility of animals getting trapped. He also encouraged residents to cover their window wells for the same reason.
