A woman has been flown to the Front Range after being attacked by a moose at River Creek Park in Steamboat Springs on Sunday evening.

“We did respond to a report of a woman that was attacked by a moose at River Creek Park,” said Rachael Gonzales, public information officer for the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Northwest Region. “She was walking her two dogs, which were on-leash, and we believe that she probably surprised the female, the cow, who does have two twin calves.”

A man passing by while paddleboarding on the Yampa River came to the woman’s aid and was also kicked by the cow.

“There was a gentleman on a paddleboard passing by who actually heard her and saw her lying on the ground,” Gonzales said. “He went over there to assist and help her get up towards the parking lot, and the moose did come back and kicked him.”

Gonzales said the woman was taken to UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center by emergency medical services for serious injuries. After evaluation, the victim was flown to a medical facility on the Front Range. No further information on the woman’s condition was available as of newspaper press time Monday.

The paddleboarder was evaluated at the scene and then released, Gonzales said.

Gonzales said Parks and Wildlife and the city of Steamboat Springs have decided to close River Creek Park for the time being.

“We went back and saw the cow with her two calves. We are working with the city of Steamboat Springs, and they’re closing the River Creek Park through Wednesday, June 4, for the next 48 hours. We’ll continue to evaluate and assess over that time,” Gonzales said. “The hope is maybe the moose will just move on.”

Gonzales said that the woman’s dogs were leashed and that she was doing everything that wildlife officials ask. Gonzales said she believes the woman may have simply startled the moose.

“Steamboat Springs (and the surrounding area) is great moose habitat,” Gonzales said. “You’ve got the wet areas and riparian habitat with the willows that moose love so much, so it’s so important, even if they move on from this area, that anyone recreating outside right now take a little extra caution when they’re doing things.”

David Rehak Suma, Colorado Parks and Wildlife district wildlife manager, said CPW and local law enforcement are on high alert after Sunday’s moose attack.

Sunday night’s incident was the first of two wildlife encounters in the area over a two-day span.

On Monday, Little Toots Park in downtown Steamboat Springs was closed as Parks and Wildlife officials and city animal control officers cordoned off a section of the Core Trail where a male moose was bedded down.

Rehak Suma said a yearling moose was seen in Little Toots Park early Monday and had bedded down just off the Core Trail.

Officers were directing bicycle and pedestrian traffic around the area from 12th Street to Lincoln Avenue and the Bud Werner Memorial Library and then back to the trail because of safety concerns. As of noon Monday, Rehak Suma said he was unsure how long the closures would last.

Rehak Suma and Jennifer Good, a Steamboat Springs animal control officer, also stressed that residents and visitors to the downtown area need to be especially aware of wildlife and the associated dangers.

They added that spring is an active time for wildlife in the area, and in mountain towns like Steamboat, residents and visitors should remain vigilant and respectful of wildlife.

They also recommended that dog owners keep their pets leashed and take extra precautions, as moose often feel threatened by dogs, regardless of the dog’s size.

The Sunday evening moose attack in Steamboat was the third such attack in Colorado in recent days, CPW reported, with other attacks occurring in Grand Lake and Fairplay. The agency urges everyone to exercise caution around moose, especially during calving season.

This story is from SteamboatPilot.com