ELK, Wash. — A Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Officer, a few Pend Oreille firefighters and a Washington State Patrol Trooper saved a moose that had fallen through the ice in Elk, Washington on Wednesday.
A couple who lives near the Little Spokane River noticed something on the ice that morning and thought it was an eagle. However, it turned out to be a moose that had fallen through the ice, and only her head was above water.
The couple called WDFW, but initially, the WDFW police sergeant said they wouldn't attempt to rescue the animal because it could pose a risk to human life.
A WDFW officer went to check on the situation to make sure the couple wasn't attempting to rescue the moose on their own. Once he got there, Officer Severin Erickson and WDFW Police Intern Colter Wevodau in consultation with firefighters from the Pend Oreille Fire Department and a Washington State Patrol Trooper decided they could safely make an effort to get the moose out of the water.
In all, the rescue took over five hours, but officer Erickson managed to lasso the moose and the team cleared a channel of ice. They were then able to drag her out of the water.
Once the moose was out, she rested for about ten minutes with officer Erickson holding her head, then got up and joined her calf that was watching the entire ordeal. The two then foraged on some trees and bushes, according to WDFW.
WDFW went on to urge people to be careful and not try to stage their own animal rescues as they can easily end up underwater or under the ice. In cold temperatures, hypothermia can set in within minutes. Wild animals also don't understand that people are trying to help them and can injure and kill people when they become panicked, the agency said.
WDFW also explained that they will not always attempt to rescue wild animals due to the risk to human life.
