Andrea Bock was navigating through Clam Gulch, Alaska, on a Sunday morning when traffic came to a halt. A mother moose and her calf were attempting to cross the busy highway. However, the worn-out calf was having a hard time climbing over the guardrail, which was causing the mother moose to grow increasingly worried, and traffic congestion was rapidly building up.
Bock sat in her vehicle for roughly 20 minutes, observing the calf attempting to locate the end of the railing. “The calf was nearing the end of the railing, but each time, the mother redirected it towards the middle, which was even further from the end,” Bock reported to The Dodo. “I speculate that the mother kept steering him towards the center
because that was the area devoid of vehicles.”
Joe Tate was also caught in his car on his way back from a fishing excursion with his friends. He watched the developing predicament and decided to intervene to reunite the moose family.
Bock was taken aback by what she was witnessing.
“After almost half an hour of frantic scurrying back and forth and with the traffic queue extending with each passing minute, a man from the northbound lane approached and aided the calf,” Bock said. “He waited for the perfect moment when the mother was on the opposite side of the highway. His view was obscured by the traffic as he quickly lifted the calf and positioned it over the railing next to its mother.
A distressed moose can pose a significant threat to humans, particularly when they are accompanied by their offspring. If a mother moose perceives a threat, she may charge, stomp or kick to safeguard her young – so it’s imperative to maintain a safe distance. Despite it typically being unwise to interfere with wildlife, this particular circumstance necessitated immediate intervention.
Fortunately, Tate and his friends devised a strategy to divert the mother’s attention by positioning a trailer between her and the scene.
“I was unaware at the time that his friends had schemed to obstruct the mother’s view, so I was apprehensive for the man,” Bock said. “I believed he was merely hoping that the mother would remain out of sight long enough for him to seize her calf.”
Upon Tate’s approach, the calf gratefully accepted the help. “The calf seemed so fatigued that it almost collapsed into his arms,” Bock mentioned. “That was quite an impressive sight.”
Tate’s intervention resulted in the calf being reunited with its mother, and the small family managed to safely cross the road. “I’m aware things could have gone awry, and I recognize that,” Tate stated to KTUU. “But the outcome was positive and justified the risk I undertook.”