When Clint Gottinger, owner of Rebel Towing in Kelvington, Saskatchewan, encountered an unusual obstacle on his way to service calls last Saturday evening, he made a decision that would delay his paying customers but ultimately save a life.
Around 5:00 pm, approximately half a mile from his residence, Gottinger spotted a young moose frozen in the ice of a local lake. The animal appeared exhausted and unable to free itself from its icy predicament. Despite having two separate tow calls awaiting his attention, Gottinger's priorities shifted immediately.
"I can't leave him," Gottinger recalled thinking at the time. "Everyone has to wait. This is a priority."
When he contacted his scheduled customers to explain the delay, their response demonstrated the compassionate spirit often found in rural communities. "After they heard I was digging a moose out of the ice they said 'Oh okay that's fine.' They were very understanding," Gottinger reported.
The tow truck operator devised an improvised rescue strategy utilizing his professional equipment. He backed his truck toward the trapped moose, lowered the bed, and employed the winch system typically used for disabled vehicles. The exhausted animal offered little resistance as Gottinger secured a soft sling around its hindquarters.
"We got the sling around his butt and popped him right out and then onto the deck," Gottinger explained in an interview with CBC News. Several neighbors arrived to assist with the operation. They informed Gottinger that the moose had been trapped since approximately 8:45 that morning, meaning the animal had endured more than eight hours in the freezing conditions before rescue arrived at half-past 5:00 pm.
The rescue presented an unexpected domestic situation. Gottinger telephoned his wife with an unusual request: "honey get some blankets, I've got a moose."
Upon arriving at their Kelvington home, the couple transferred the moose onto a large blanket and covered the animal with another for warmth. The moose remained docile throughout this process, too exhausted to resist either the blankets or Gottinger's attempts to scratch behind its ears—a gesture that demonstrated the animal's severely depleted state.
The recovery process proved lengthy. By 11:00 pm, the moose had regained enough strength to stand, though its demeanor had shifted considerably. The animal no longer tolerated Gottinger's friendly gestures and maintained its distance. The moose remained on the property through the night and into late morning the following day before departing.
According to a biologist consulted about the incident, this extended recovery period represents normal behavior for moose rescued by humans. The animals can experience a condition known as capture myopathy, characterized by overwhelming stress and confusion that may trigger metabolic complications and potentially organ failure. However, based on Gottinger's observations of the moose's behavior and recovery timeline, the biologist assessed that this serious condition was unlikely to have developed.
The expert suggested the animal likely sought dense shelter such as an aspen or fir grove to rest and complete its recovery away from human presence.
When asked about compensation for the rescue operation, Gottinger displayed the humor characteristic of the situation. He joked that he had named the moose Rebel and spray painted Rebel Towing on its side as payment. "That's a joke," he clarified.
The incident highlights the unique challenges and ethical considerations faced by residents in areas where human activity intersects with wildlife habitat. Gottinger's decision to prioritize the animal's welfare over commercial obligations, and his customers' understanding response, reflects values that remain strong in rural communities where encounters with wildlife constitute part of daily life.