One lucky moose calf is alive and back with his mama, thanks to the quick work and bravery of a Utah hunting guide.
Dave Beronio and his client happened upon a moose calf stuck in a fence while hunting in the Uinta Mountains on Oct. 2. The poor thing had been there quite some time and was clearly in distress—and its mama, a cow moose, was just as anxious and apprehensive about the two-legged rescuers. Beronio had to move quickly to save the calf and not push his luck with the cow.
Beronio posted the video of the encounter on his Instagram account. When he first approached the calf, he checked to see if he was still alive. The calf cried when he touched him, attracting his protective mama, who came out from behind the trees. Beronio had to back up, taking cover behind his car door. He resumed his rescue efforts as soon as she moved away.
The young male had twisted himself into a position worthy of a contortionist. His hoof was stuck in the fence, with his front left leg up in the air and his left hind leg stuck between the front and his body. The young moose was on borrowed time. As Beronio worked to free the calf, the mom paced angrily back and forth.
Beronio typically keeps a pair of wire snips in his vehicle, but he took a different truck that day and had to use a little creativity to free the calf. His first attempt entailed wedging a hatchet in between two wires. That didn't work, and the calf let out more distressed cries, adding to his mother's anxiety.
"Mom had jumped the fence, and at one point she came running down the road at me and stopped," Beronio told Outdoor Life. "I chased her off two or three times and went right at her, trying to spook her off, but then one time, she put her ears down and came in a little too close. I know they can catch some speed pretty quick, and they can do some damage and kill people, so I was trying to take that into consideration. I told my client to get behind the door of the vehicle, just to be in a safe place."
He finally freed the calf by sticking a rock in between the wires. Once the calf was free and mom calmed down, Beronio worked to get blood flowing back to the leg. The moose made it up on all fours, a little shaky but upright.
Instagram viewers pointed out that the calf's leg looked as if "it was bent right over." But Beronio said that after a couple of minutes, it bent back and moved properly. Other viewers praised his good work, especially with mama watching over his shoulder.
