Man Saves Baby Moose From Drowning, Reunites Her With Mom

ALASKA -- Logan Snyder might not consider himself to be a hero, but there is no better word to describe him.

While out for a boat ride on a river near his home, the Wasilla, Alaska native spotted a furry brown mound cresting the water ahead of him. At first, Snyder thought it was just one of the many beavers living there, but he soon learned there was much more beneath the surface.

"As I got closer, it didn't dive, which is what a beaver always does. So I idled my boat and started looking at it, and I was like 'What the heck?'" Snyder told The Dodo. "Every once in a while I could see an ear come up, and I thought 'That's a moose calf!'"

The tiny animal, likely just a few days old, had somehow fallen into the narrow waterway and was struggling to stay afloat with only her nose breaching the surface. Along both sides of the river, the bank rose sharply, making it all but impossible for the moose calf to climb out.

About 200 feet away onshore, Snyder could see the calf's mother watching as he neared her baby.

Given how protective moose parents are, he was wary that she might become aggressive if he tried to help — but that was a risk he was willing to take.

"I could tell this thing was just gasping for air, so I brought my boat next to her, grabbed her and scooped her up," said Snyder. "I set her on the bow of my boat, and she just lay there for a long time. She was shaking real bad and coughing up water."

After several minutes passed, the moose calf stood up and approached Snyder, showing what could be described as a gesture of gratitude to the much larger stranger who had just saved her life.

"She was tiny. The whole moose was the same size as the five-gallon gas can I have in my boat. She probably only weighed 25 pounds," he said. "She walked over to me and started nuzzling me with her nose and I petted her a little bit."

The mama moose waiting for her baby

Although she was now safe from the watery fate that awaited her had help not arrived, Snyder knew the rescue was not yet complete.

"I idled up next to the bank, which was about four feet tall, and placed her up on top of the bank on the same side as her mom," he said. "She started walking towards her, and I got out of there so she would feel safe."

Snyder snapped one last photo of the little moose he rescued as she prepared to reunite with her mom — a moment made possible thanks to him. But the way he sees it, he was the lucky one:

"I'm glad I was at the right place at the right time."

(The Dodo - May 22, 2015)