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Baby moose gets startled and ends up swept away from mom. Then came the happy reunion

Brooke Baitinger
·2 min read

A baby moose was startled away from its mom and swept down a river in Colorado, officials said.

Lucky for the calf, it all happened near a popular park along the Yampa River in Steamboat Springs, where it captured the attention of park goers who called wildlife officials for help on Tuesday, June 6.

The helpless little calf had gotten spooked by a train car passing on a nearby railroad and ran to the river where it fell in and was swept up in the swift current, the Steamboat Pilot & Today reported.

The calf was carried about 300 yards but was able to get out near the park, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials told McClatchy News. But that left the baby separated from its mom and sibling, officials said.

That’s when wildlife officials stepped in. They were able to capture the calf without using drugs or tranquilizers, which can be stressful on a wild animal, officials said.

Wildlife officers blindfolded the calf and hobbled its legs to keep it from injuring them or itself while they handled it, officials said.

Wildlife officers blindfolded the calf and hobbled its legs to keep it from injuring them or itself while they handled it
Wildlife officers blindfolded the calf and hobbled its legs to keep it from injuring them or itself while they handled it

The officers then took it to an area closer to its mom and sibling so they could reunite, the Steamboat Pilot & Today reported.

“I think given the alternatives in this situation and where the calf was relative to hikers, bicycles and dogs … it wasn’t good for her to sit over there (away from its mom) and just try to let this naturally occur,” Kyle Bond, a district wildlife manager with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, told the outlet. “I think this was the best action we could have taken at this time for the welfare of the calf.”

The incident serves as a good reminder for members of the public to avoid taking it upon themselves to intervene should they encounter a moose calf or other baby animal without its mom, officials said. Even though the calf wandered along a busy park trail, no one tried to move it and instead called the experts to make the right call.

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