Campers: Moose surrounded before being shot

Witnesses say several moose were surrounded by photographers Wednesday morning at the Gros Ventre campground in Grand Teton National Park and one moose eventually had to be shot after injuring its leg.

Bob McKee, who visits the campground each year from Utah, said he came upon the scene around 8:30 a.m.

“We walked up to where everybody was and this moose was hobbling around on three legs,” said McKee.

He said it started when a group of photographers arrived at the campground and began filming the moose.

“It was ridiculous. They just surround these animals,” said McKee.

He said the moose tried to back away, but there was nowhere for them to go. He said a cow moose tripped and broke its leg.

“Somebody had told me that they had pushed it over a picnic table and it had hit a fireplace and broke its leg,” said McKee.

Janet Watts, who occasionally photographs moose at the campground, disputes this version of events. She said photographers kept their distance the entire time.

“They were not surrounded,” said Watts.

Campers said park rangers eventually arrived and shot the moose.

“There was two shots a few seconds apart and we heard that. That was very distinct,” said camper Gary Wilkerson.

All day campers reported seeing a baby moose wandering the campground in search of its mother.

“It was sad,” said McKee.

In a written statement, Grand Teton National Park said it was forced to euthanize the moose due to the severity of its leg injury.

The park said the “concentration of people approaching and crowding around these animals has caused them to become overly agitated.”

It said it will be taking steps to protect both people and moose at the campground.