Wildlife officers give 700-pound moose a bath after rescuing him from Fort Carson

A 700-pound bull moose was rescued from Fort Carson early Monday and given a bath by wildlife officers on his way to a new location, according to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

The moose was reportedly in a "bad area" of the Army base south of downtown Colorado Springs about 10:30 a.m., officers posted on Twitter. The moose was grazing in a fenced area that was too close to buildings and vehicles, they said.

Parks and Wildlife district manager Cassidy English successfully fired one tranquilizer shot that put the moose to sleep within 10 minutes, officials reported.

The moose was loaded into a trailer -- an effort that took at least eight officers, including Fort Carson soldiers -- then was given another injection to reverse the effects of the tranquilizer, officials said.

When the moose woke up, wildlife officers gave him a bath.

"Moose love wetlands and need to stay cool," agency spokesman Bill Vogrin said. "The cool water helped him stay calm through a stressful time." Watch the moose washing video here.

Bath time for a bull moose found on Fort Carson and #rescued today by @COParksWildlife officers who will now release it into moose habitat in the mountains West of #ColoradoSprings. pic.twitter.com/8VRAooMheB

— CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) September 21, 2020

The young bull moose was released in the mountains of Teller County Monday afternoon where he wandered into heavy brush.

"He's chomping down on willows, so he's pretty happy with where we put him," English said in a video posted to Twitter.

WATCH as @COParksWildlife Officer Cassidy English talks about the successful #rescue of a bull moose off Fort Carson today. #wildlife #conservation pic.twitter.com/iLmH4FodQR

— CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) September 21, 2020

Another moose, a 650-pound cow, was rescued from Palmer Park Thursday after being spotted wandering through areas between the Colorado Springs park and Monument. 

The moose, thought to be 2 years old, was seen in Palmer Park around noon. Officer Aaron Berscheid, armed with a tranquilizer gun, led an effort to track the moose.

Today's #wildlife #rescue was a moose that crossed six lanes of rush hour traffic in #ColoradoSprings and sent @COParksWildlife officers scrambling as she was sighted in busy Palmer Park. Officer Aaron Berscheid took point, following tracks through heavy brush. (1/6) pic.twitter.com/DMglcNE43H

— CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) September 18, 2020

"When they get close to people, they're very unpredictable," Berscheid said in a video posted Thursday by Parks and Wildlife. "They're very large and they don't fear humans, and so if humans get too close, they can get aggressive.

"With it being unpredictable and in the Palmer Park area, with all the people that do hike in and about that area, it was really important for us to get hands on her and get her to a better moose habitat area," he added.

That moose was also released in Teller County.

Vogrin said the moose sightings represent a huge conservation victory for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Moose are becoming more common in the Pikes Peak region as they find habitat in areas including Monument, Black Forest and along Colorado 115, Vogrin said.

Colorado wildlife officials reintroduced moose to the state in 1978, beginning with 12 moose taken to the North Park region near Walden. Another dozen moose from Wyoming were released near Walden in 1979.

Moose in northern Colorado were relocated to other parts of the state in 1987. Similar efforts continued until the early 90's as the moose "quickly reproduced," Vogrin said, estimating "there are more than 3,000 moose statewide."