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PARLEY'S CANYON — Eastbound I-80 in Parley's Canyon was closed for nearly more than two hours Thursday night when a moose and her calf went into the middle of the road — an incident that caused a major headache for canyon commuters
The mother moose and her calf became stuck just after 7 p.m., and Chopper 5 caught the rescue efforts on camera.
Officials with Utah Highway Patrol tried to first lure the mother up the hillside, hoping the calf would follow. But the calf became stuck in bushes, even rolling down the hill toward the interstate below.
That prompted officials to stop both lanes of traffic on I-80 eastbound in Parley's Canyon. Craig Clyde with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said they did so to ensure the safety of motorists, DWR officers and the moose themselves.
Despite multiple attempts to uproot mother and calf out of harm's way, the adult moose simply wouldn't leave the calf behind. DWR officials said the calf is just a couple of weeks old and couldn't scale the steep cliffs of the canyon.
Officers were finally able to corral the mother and calf into a trailer and take them to safety.
