Colorado Parks and Wildlife is looking into the death of a moose that had a devoted local following in the town of Minturn.
Residents said over the past month the 400-pound bull moose nicknamed 鈥淢orty鈥� was often seen walking around the town鈥檚 Main Street. However, a recent Facebook post from a local resident said the animal was found dead on a trail on Sunday.
鈥淎nother sad day in Minturn,鈥� wrote Jim Gonzales on his Facebook page. 鈥淭he Bull Moose that has been in town is now dead. I hiked up Game Cree today. There is a dead Elk on the Minturn Mile trail.鈥�
The post has dozens of replies with people sharing their sadness over the death of 鈥淢orty.鈥�
Gonzales says after a call to CPW, the moose鈥檚 remains were removed.
According to CPW, a necropsy is planned at the agency鈥檚 lab in Fort Collins. Wildlife officials say it isn鈥檛 an actual investigation, but they鈥檙e trying to get a better understanding of how the animal died.
鈥淣ot every animal goes to the health lab for a necropsy and it is a case-by-case situation,鈥� said Rachael Gonzales, CPW鈥檚 Public Information Officer for the Northwest Region.
CPW says moose are common in the Minturn area.
