Saskatchewan tow truck rescues moose in a truly Canadian moment
A tow truck driver in Kelvington, Saskatchewan, put his regular calls on hold to rescue a yearling moose trapped in a frozen, icy ditch
You’ve likely seen cars, trucks and SUVs stuck in a snowy Prairie ditch, but what about a moose?
Well, that’s exactly what a Saskatchewan tow truck driver discovered after the wild wintry weather that whipped across the Prairies last week.
Kelvington, Saskatchewan is about 215 kilometres east of Saskatoon. (Rebel Towing/provided)
Clint Gottinger, owner of Rebel Towing in Kelvington, Saskatchewan, was responding to a couple of calls for service Saturday evening when he spotted a yearling moose not far from his acreage. He quickly realized that the young moose was stuck in an area of frozen runoff. An unusual rescue operation then began.
"I thought ‘oh man I've got to help this guy out.’ I can’t see this animal suffer," Gottinger told The Weather Network. “Everyone’s going have to wait, this is priority.”
The tired animal offered little resistance throughout the endeavour. Gottinger was even able to give the moose a scratch behind the ears and under the chin, which he says it appeared to enjoy. (Rebel Towing/provided)
Gottinger, who says his clients were understanding once they learned why service was delayed, backed his tow truck up to the moose and lowered the deck. He then threw a soft sling over the exhausted animal’s neck.
"It worked great. I started winching and the moose kicked and helped a bit," recalled Gottinger. "My neighbours drove by, and hopped out to help. We repositioned the sling a few times and got him right onto the deck, and he was so tired he just sat there."
This was actually Gottinger’s second watery rescue. A few years ago he had to swim through a lagoon to hook up a vehicle that had become partially submerged. This rescue though, he says, is his most memorable of all. (Rebel Towing/provided)
Gottinger moved the moose to his property, and was able to set it down on his driveway. He covered it with some blankets, and said it rested there for about 24 hours, occasionally attempting to stand and walk.
He noticed Monday morning that the moose had finally left the area.
"It was a good day, a good rescue and a one-of-a-kind experience."
He posted about the rescue on Facebook, and the news quickly went viral garnering thousands of comments and shares. He spent the following days fielding interview requests from all over North America.
Gottinger thinks the moose was likely being chased by a predator when it entered the icy runoff, which he estimates was a little over a metre deep.
A post-rescue warmup was in order for the young moose, which Gottinger named “Rebel” after his towing business. (Rebel Towing/provided)
Spring is an active time of year for moose as they seek out water and nutrients after a long winter. They can be especially deficient of sodium around this time, a mineral crucial to the success of processes like calving and growing antlers, so you can often find them enjoying roadside salt licks according to research from the University of Northern British Columbia.