OGDEN, Utah, April 19, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Wildlife officials, with an assist from the public, had to rescue a moose trapped by a misbehaving Ogden River.
“A young cow moose found itself in a predicament in Ogden Canyon recently,” said the Utah Division.of Wildlife Resources on social media, trapped by a river raging too much for even a 600-pound moose to overcome.
“The Ogden River was flowing fast and high and kept the moose from crossing and reaching the mountain on the river’s north side,” reads the DWR’s Tuesday evening post. “The mountain on the south side was too steep for it to climb.”
Proximity to the adjacent canyon highway with motor traffic traveling up and down the canyon posed a risk to the moose as well, and people traveling in their vehicles. “We were luckily able to tranquilize the moose, and form a team to get the 600-pound animal through deep snow and up a steep slope.”
From there the moose was transported to the Hardware Ranch Management Area, basically the next canyon over, to the south, in Blacksmith’s Fork Canyon, where she was released to her new home, the DWR said.
“Thanks to all who helped us:
— the homeowner who brought his skid steer across the road and plowed a pathway for us;
— homeowners who helped us carry the heavy animal up the slope;
— officers with the Utah Highway Patrol who stopped traffic so the work could take place safely.
“A special thanks to motorists who waited patiently in the canyon while the operation happened.”
FB post with photos
