A yearling moose died during the evening of Saturday, May 11, after a vehicle driving on Interstate 70 hit it on the stretch of roadway between Exit 205 in Silverthorne and Exit 203 in Frisco.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Travis Duncan said workers with the department confirmed that the yearling moose found its way inside of a high wildlife fence spanning the stretch of road.

“(Parks and Wildlife) officers were instructed to allow the moose to discover the escapement provisions on the fence and not to attempt to haze the moose unless traffic was stopped on I-70 to avoid inadvertently pushing it into traffic,” Duncan said in an email. “Other agencies also recognized the danger of pushing the moose into traffic. Unfortunately, the moose did not find its way through the fence.”

Colorado Department of Transportation resident engineer Grant Anderson said in an email that the fencing was installed during the recent eastbound auxiliary lane project that widened the westbound interstate to three lanes between Exit 203 in Frisco and Exit 205 in Silverthorne. The project also included changes to the off-ramp at Exit 205.

Anderson said the fence, which includes dirt ramps that allow an animal stuck on the highway to climb and jump through it, was installed to keep wildlife off the interstate. He said the fence isn’t 100% effective but minimizes vehicle-wildlife collisions compared to the time before it was installed. Wildlife can still make it onto the highway from the ends of the fence, he noted.

In response to a question posed by a reader who was upset by how long it took law enforcement and Parks and Wildlife to respond to the scene, Parks and Wildlife officials said the best way to report a wildlife situation that appears to be an emergency would be to call the nearest Colorado Parks and Wildlife regional or area office, which is staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Fridays. After hours, residents should call Colorado State Patrol at 303-239-4501.

As wildlife activity continues to increase in the mountains during spring migration, drivers are advised to “be aware, drive with caution, and slow down, especially at night,” when a majority of wildlife-vehicle collisions occur. Wildlife are most active between dusk and dawn, according to CDOT.

Over the past 10 years, CDOT says around 2,000 to 4,000 vehicles crash into wildlife.