A massive moose was filmed wading into a Colorado lake, coming within feet of swimmers, according to video footage. The incident occurred last month near St. Mary’s Glacier, close to Idaho Springs.
Carleigh Smith, a tourist from Florida, was on a hike with friends when a man alerted them to the moose's presence. "All of the sudden, a guy comes up behind us, and he’s very calmly, nonchalantly saying there’s a moose in front of you guys, you might want to move," Smith told KDVR.
Smith described the proximity using a common wildlife safety guideline: if a person's thumb can cover the entire animal from their vantage point, they are at a safe distance. When Smith held up her thumb, it only covered the moose's toe, indicating it was extremely close.
As Smith and her friends moved away, they observed the moose enter the lake for a dip. The animal approached a group of girls who were sitting on a rock near the water's edge. The video shows these girls slowly exiting the rock and entering the water to avoid disturbing the large mammal, which can weigh over 1,000 pounds. Smith noted that the swimmers were eventually able to move away safely.
Smith likened the experience to encountering an alligator in Florida. Despite the initial fear, she described the moose as majestic and calm. She advised others to appreciate such wildlife encounters but to remember that they are visitors in the animal's environment.