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DENVER - The U.S. Forest Service is considering explosives to move a bunch of frozen cows that died after getting stuck inside a cabin at an elevation of 11,000 feet (3,350 metres) in Colorado's Rocky Mountains.
Forest Service spokesman Steve Segin said Tuesday that rangers are worried about the high fire danger and discussed other solutions when they met Tuesday, including using helicopters or trucks.
Segin said using helicopters is too expensive and rangers are worried about using trucks in a wilderness area, where the government bars permanent improvements and tries to preserve the natural habitat.
Other options include burning the cabin and dragging the dead cows out with pack animals, he said.
Forest Service spokesman Brian Porter said rangers saw about six cows inside the cabin, and several dead cows lying around the building.
"There is a lot of snow, and it's hard to determine how many cows are there," Porter said.
Rangers met Tuesday and went over their options, but it could take several days to make a decision, he said. They are also trying to locate the rancher who lost the cows.
Segin said officials are concerned about water contamination in the nearby hot springs if the cows start decomposing during the thaw.
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