Greg and Laura Thorpe got an unexpected visitor Sunday morning when a moose settled down for a nap in their backyard in Springville, Utah.
After neighbors alerted them to the animal's presence, Laura Thorpe became the first to come face-to-face with the backyard guest.
“So then I just kind of peaked out my little bedroom window and saw him just sitting right there. Just sitting, happy and content as could be," she said.
Laura quickly called her husband, who was on his way home from church.
RELATED STORY | Record-breaking El Niño possible, bringing extreme weather, experts warn
“It was a crazy day, but kind of fun to see, not something that happens all the time," Greg Thorpe said.
The Thorpes eventually contacted the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
The effort to safely remove the young bull moose took about an hour. Wildlife officials first sedated the animal, then conducted a quick health check before transporting it out of the area.
“Took about eight of us to be able to load that guy up into a horse trailer," said Michael Packer of the Division of Wildlife Resources' Central Region Office.
RELATED STORY | Earth’s climate is now 'out of balance,' new global report warns
The Thorpes have lived in their Springville home for 25 years and said they had never seen a moose wander into their yard before.
But because of ongoing drought conditions and a particularly dry winter, Packer said residents could see more encounters like this in the future.
“We might see a little bit more or different movements, really, because these animals are just trying to move to those areas where they can find food, water, and shelter," Packer said.
