A young bull moose jumped off of a parking garage in Steamboat on Sunday, June 18, sparking a search for those involved in the incident from Colorado Parks & Wildlife.
According to the Steamboat Pilot & Today, the moose jumped two stories to its death near Steamboat Resort. Witnesses told police that the animal may have been blocked from exiting the structure, as around 10 individuals were crowding it while trying to take pictures.
“A lack of proper behavior, for whatever reason, ends up being bad for the animals. I’ll tell you that usually when there is a wildlife-type instance, it is because somebody made a choice that they didn’t have to make that wound up with something bad happening.” – CPW District Wildlife Manager David Rehak Suma
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is seeking information relating to those possibly involved in the incident. They request that anyone with videos or any other evidence report it through Operation Game Thief at 1-877-COLO-OGT or game.thief@state.co.us.
“We hope that people will be more compassionate to the plight of the wildlife knowing the winter that we’ve had. We always want people to be vigilant, we always want people to keep their space, but we hope that in a year like this people will be more compassionate and recognize that these are stressed-out animals and life is hard for them. The more that we encroach on them, the harder the life gets.” – David Rehak Suma
Please give wildlife the necessary space. Keep at least 25 yards away from moose, and make sure you know how to act when you see or experience nature.
Image Credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife – Steamboat Springs via YouTube