Neighbors help save ‘tired and cold’ moose that fell in icy Alaska river, photos show
Neighbors spotted a trapped moose struggling in a cold and icy Alaska river and worked with troopers to save the animal, authorities said.
A moose fell through ice into the Chena River in Fairbanks on Sunday, April 9, Alaska State Troopers said in a Facebook post.
When residents saw the moose, they called authorities.
“I looked out the window here and ... you could see this moose fighting for his life,” Gary Niese told KTUU. “He was clearly unable to get out of the hole and was fighting with all his effort.”
With the help from the caller and two neighbors, the animal was pulled out of the water with a rope around its neck and around one of its front legs, Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Tim DeSpain told McClatchy News.
The rescue took about 20 minutes. The moose was “tired and cold,” but survived the rescue, troopers said.
“Troopers wished the moose a Happy Easter and warned her of the dangers of thawing river ice,” authorities said in the post.
Ice rescues are dangerous
Saving an animal from ice is dangerous for rescuers and onlookers trying to help, Staci Lehman, a spokesperson for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, told McClatchy News in December.
“Wild animals, cold temperatures and water can be a recipe for disaster,” Lehman said.
If a rescuer gets wet in cold temperatures, hypothermia can set in within minutes. Or if someone tries to save the animal and they fall in the water, they might also need saving, too, Lehman said.
Additionally, wild animals can be “very unpredictable and aggressive towards people,” DeSpain said.
If someone sees a struggling wild animal, the best thing to do is to call local wildlife authorities and have them evaluate the situation, DeSpain said.
This story was originally published April 10, 2023 at 1:16 PM with the headline "Neighbors help save ‘tired and cold’ moose that fell in icy Alaska river, photos show."
