DENVER -- Officers from the Division of Wildlife were forced to put down a moose after it threatened people near a ski area Saturday.

Steamboat Springs police said the moose began charging people near the Thunderhead Ski Lift.

Some skiers threw their skis at the moose to fend it off. When police arrived, they too retreated because the moose appeared to charge at them as well, said Mike Middleton of the DOW.

Eventually the moose moved off on its own, but officials decided they would have to destroy the animal, Middleton said.

Wild animals that repeatedly get too close to humans and act in threatening ways are often put down to prevent any future attacks.

The DOW said they had received reports of the same bull moose in the area for about one month but it has never threatened people until Saturday.

Middleton said he's never seen a moose behave this way.

Before being put down, the DOW noticed the animal had several injuries. It has lost its antlers and had other injuries, Middleton said.