A wandering moose that dropped into Westminster on Monday morning is headed home after being tranquilized.
The young moose was spotted in the 9800 block of Westcliff Parkway at about 8 a.m., said Jennifer Churchill, spokeswoman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
A Parks and Wildlife veterinarian arrived from Fort Collins and shot it with a tranquilizer dart, Churchill said. After the moose collapsed, the vet checked to make sure she wasn’t harmed.
“They were able to get her in good shape,” she said. “We always check to make sure they are breathing OK and their heart rate is good.”
The moose was loaded onto a trailer. “She is now on her way to a better moose habitat.”
Churchill said yearling moose are often on the move at this time of year.
“The mother pushes them out when the calves come along,” she said. “It’s time to go out on their own.”
The moose population has grown since they were re introduced to Colorado in 1978, and people in populated areas “are seeing more and more of them. We have a healthy moose population.”
