Baby moose on brink of death rescued after getting trapped in Alaskan lake

The moose became trapped between the floats of a seaplane and a wooden dock. Credit: AP

A baby moose has been rescued by a man and two police officers after becoming trapped in a lake in Alaska.

The animal found itself wedged in a narrow gap between the floats of a seaplane and a dock in Beluga Lake in the town of Homer, south of Anchorage.

Spencer Warren, a tourism company employee, at first thought the little moose's cries for help were coming from a bird.

The animal tried to pull itself out of the lake, but couldn't get its footing on the dock with its hooves.

Mr Warren said: “It's like an ice rink for the moose and its hooves, so he just kept slipping and slipping and could not get up.”

He soon spotted the moose's mother standing a few metres away with another calf. Mr Warren couldn't get too close to help, as parents can be dangerously protective of their young.

Eventually, police arrived to help, positioning their vehicle between the mother moose and her baby to allow officers and Mr Warren to pull the calf from the lake.

Officers helped wilderness guide Spencer Warren pull the moose to safety. Credit: AP
The mother licked the baby moose dry after it was saved. Credit: AP

Officers from Homer Police Department helped the exhausted calf to stand upright before it reunited with its mother, who licked the water off of its body.

The police said the actions of the three men saved the calf from “a sure demise”.

Homer Police Lt. Ryan Browning said: “Anytime you can rescue a little critter, it always makes you feel good."

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