Poor Poor Moose with a tire around his neck was discovered after 2 years

A moose that has been roaming the hills of Colorado with a car tire around its neck for at least two years has finally been released from the ban, wildlife officials said.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the 4½-year-old, 600-liter elk was discovered near Pine Junction, southwest of Denʋer, on Saturday alert and quiet.

Agency officials had to cut off the moose’s sharp horns to reduce entanglement because they could not cut through the steel at the top of the tire.

Officer Scott Murdoch said: “We would have rather cut the tire and removed the gauze because of his sinking actions, but the situation was very complicated and we had to remove the tire any way we could.”

Mr. Murdoch and fellow officer Dawson Swanson estimated the moose had a volume of about 35 liters including the remains of the tire, antlers and debris inside the tire.

“The tires were full of wet pine needles and dirt,” Murdoch said. So pine needles, dirt and other debris easily filled the entire bottom half of the tire. There was about 10 pounds of debris in the tire.”

Wildlife officer Swanson said they were able to locate the animal after receiving a tip from a local resident.

He said: ‘I was able to quickly respond to a report from a local resident about a recent sighting of this tiny moose in their neighborhood. I was able to locate that elk along with a herd of about 40 other elk.”

Saturday’s successful operation was the fourth time this week officers attempted to tranquilize the moose.

Wildlife officials first discovered the moose with the tire around its neck in July 2019 while conducting a population survey for Rocky Mountain pronghorn sheep and mountain goats in the Mount Eʋans Wilderness .

They say they have seen deer, elk, moose, deer, and other wildlife entangled in certain items, including swing sets, hammocks, clotheslines, decorative lights, or lamps. holidays, furniture, tomato cages, chicken feeders, laundry baskets, feet and ʋolley all nets.

Last year, the agency issued a call to the public for information that could help them locate the moose.

The organization previously shared footage from one of its trail cameras showing the animal roaming the Arapahoe-Rooseʋelt National Forest with the tube stuck to its head.

Rangers said the moose was spotted on surveillance footage multiple times and they feared for its life before the tire was replaced.

Speaking previously to Fox 31, CPW spokesman Jason Clay said it’s not uncommon for rangers to tranquilize elk with various objects stuck around their antlers and necks.

‘We see it so often – you know, whether it’s a hammock hooked up to it, Christmas lights, ropes, tires around its neck. Unfortunately, that happens quite often in Colorado,” he said.

Members of the public were also previously warned about trying to remove the tire from the moose’s neck.