Photos: Female moose attack in town where male was seen mounting a moose statue

This incident may not have struck another Grand Lake moose as especially funny, though. The next day, a female moose seriously injured a woman walking near her, prompting a sad ending for the animal and its calf and inspiring a warning from the state's wildlife service.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the woman, age sixty, was walking her dog in a Grand Lake neighborhood along County Road 4721 when she came within ten feet or so of a cow moose and her calf.

The cow moose then charged the woman and knocked her down -- hard. She was taken to Granby Medical Center, where it was determined she needed more extensive medical care. At that point, she was transported to St. Anthony's in Lakewood.

Was the cow moose frustrated that her male counterpart was bestowing his seed upon a statue instead of her? Wildlife officials say no. Rather, the response was likely as a result of calving season, when cow moose are known to aggressively protect their young from perceived dangers.

Moreover, the CPW stresses that moose aren't able to differentiate between dogs and wolves -- their natural predator -- and may react by stomping pets to death. And if the pooch runs back to its owner for protection, the action may put the person in danger, too.

For these reasons and more, wildlife officials encourage people to keep their dogs on leashes when they're in the vicinity of moose, and to keep their distance whether strolling past, sight-seeing or taking photos.

"We have heard reports of people coming as close as twenty feet to take a picture of this bull," says Area Wildlife Manager Lyle Sidener of Hot Sulphur Springs in a statement for CPW. "Many people see it as a curiosity. However, we caution the public to give it plenty of space or it may feel threatened and could react."

The person who snapped the moose-on-moose-statue action shots got away without a problem -- but obviously, the camera's subject was otherwise occupied.

Here are the original photos, accompanied by comments left on 9News' Facebook page.

What a smart moose! Standing on that statue to see over the fence! Wait, what?....oh.....nevermind.

Lookin for love in all the wrong places!!

Silence is not consent.....

Aww poor guy hopefully he figures it out and heads back into the woods to find him a real babe!

Poor thing. He's gonna be disappointed. ha

He's like why does she ignore me!! What's wrong with her!!

The statue is male as well

Doesnt matter had sex!

Survival of the fittest...obviously not this moose....or could it be the moose version of a blow up doll?

He looks a little....horny

ives new meaning to those song lyrics..."She's cold as ice......."

Best news story in a long time!!!

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