Survivor Shares Tale of Harrowing Moose Encounter
In an alarming encounter that unfolded on a Colorado trail, Chris Ray found herself in a terrifying clash with a moose, an experience she considers herself fortunate to have lived through.
On a typical Tuesday stroll with her loyal companion, Nala, near her residence, Chris Ray was caught off guard by an imposing adult moose. The event was etched in her memory as an ordeal she will not easily forget.
Ray likened the encounter to plummeting from a two-story building, recounting the grievous injuries she sustained. “The moose broke three of my vertebrae in my back and one of my ribs, and also inflicted significant soft tissue damage, particularly around my kidney,” she disclosed during an interview with KDVR.
The relentless assault by the moose left her trampled multiple times before she could break free.
The Looming Threat of Colorado’s Shiras Moose
Colorado’s Shiras moose, as indicated by the Colorado Parks & Wildlife, stand as the state’s most massive game animals. These full-grown moose can tip the scales between 800 to 1,200 pounds and reach towering heights of up to 6 feet at the shoulder.
Ray admitted, “I see moose sometimes. When I see them, I turn around and come home.”
During her walk along the South Saint Vrain trailhead near Ward, Ray’s senses pricked up at an unusual, unfamiliar sound—an ‘oo’ emanating from an unseen source. Recounting the unnerving moment, she shared, “I heard an ‘oo’ again, and I turned around to look, and a moose was charging us from the rear.”
Desperation overtook her as she attempted to seek refuge behind the nearest tree. However, an unexpected obstacle, concealed barbed wire, sent her tumbling and left her with several cuts.
But her ordeal was far from over. Ray recounted, “[The moose] just ran over me and then ran over me again and then was coming back for a third time when I scrambled behind a tree.”
A Mother’s Protective Instincts
Remarkably, Ray’s dog, Nala, managed to evade the moose’s relentless charges. “What she did was she just stayed real alert and when the moose charged her she would just step aside at the last second, and she did that three times, and the moose never got her,” Ray recounted.
Despite her battered condition, Ray summoned the strength to journey back home, driven by her yearning to reunite with her beloved pet. She believes that the moose’s aggression was driven by maternal instincts, speculating, “That was a mom moose defending her baby. I think that’s what it was, and I wanted to get back home to see my baby too, so I got myself down that trail, and I just wanted to see him. I was so excited to see him.”
A Cautionary Tale
Chris Ray chose to share her harrowing ordeal to caution others about the inherent danger posed by wild moose. “They’re really dangerous animals and they get angry about things, just like we do,” she concluded, “And they’ll come after you.” Vigilance and awareness, it seems, are paramount when encountering these formidable creatures.