The daring operation went down in Estes Park, a resort town northwest of Denver. It’s unclear how the moose managed to get stuck in the fast-moving current, but a spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the animal was exhausted by the time they pulled it from the drink.
CPW officers, along with officials with the Bureau of Reclamation, used ropes and straps to secure the moose’s head above water before tranquilizing it to keep it calm. They then used a crane and a saddle around its torso to slowly lift it to shore.
Officials set the moose down gently, tucking its legs underneath it, and removed the straps and ropes. A spokesperson said it took the animal a long time to recover due to fatigue, but it eventually stood up and shook itself off.
The moose only suffered minor injuries from the ordeal, though experts say it may struggle to explain the experience to its friends.
This isn’t the only moose to find itself in a precarious predicament this fall.
It was discovered by a landowner who was unaware of an old well on his new property—until he heard the trapped moose. Wildlife biologists and wardens responded and sedated the moose, and they were able to extract it with heavy straps and an excavator. The entire process took several hours. Eventually, once the sedation wore off, the moose took off running.
Wildlife officials teamed up with the local police department to sedate and transport the calf moose to a safer location. Experts say he was a skater moose, but they said see ya later moose.
Both of its front hooves were stuck between the wooden slats, but a couple Good Samaritans used an axe to widen the gaps and set the moose free. Oddly, the moose didn’t run away immediately. It stood looking at its saviors for several minutes before turning around and trotting back through the neighborhood.
Despite their awkward, gangly appearance, moose are fast, powerful, and sometimes dangerous animals. They don’t often find themselves in situations they can’t handle, but when they do, wildlife officers and regular citizens alike are usually happy to help them get back to the wild.
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