While working on a dredging project, three Estonian construction workers – Rando Kartsepp, Robin Sillamäe, and Erki Väli – spotted an animal that appeared to be a dog struggling to stay afloat in the icy waters of Parnu River.
In a swift move, they rescued the creature from the freezing water and covered it with a thick towel to keep it warm. They then placed it inside a car for further protection. One of the rescuers commented on how heavy the animal was to carry over the slope.
Afterwards, they contacted animal rescue for assistance, and were advised to transport the supposed ‘canine’ to the closest veterinary facility located in a nearby town.
As the workers were heading to the veterinary clinic, everything appeared to be normal. Rando, one of the workers, shared that the “canine” was soundly asleep and rested its head on his lap.
Upon reaching the clinic, the team swiftly conducted a thorough examination of the rescued creature. To their surprise, they were unaware that it was a wolf at that time. It wasn’t until a hunter in the area identified it as such that they became aware of the animal they had saved.
Veterinarians reported that the wolf exhibited calm behavior when workers came to its rescue, likely due to its low blood pressure. Medical professionals also determined the wolf’s gender to be male and estimated its age to be approximately one year old.
After stumbling upon an unexpected canine while on patrol, the Estonian Border Guard Officers reached out to the Estonian Animal Protection Union to report the unusual discovery. They recounted the challenge of dealing with an animal in distress that could have been mistaken for a wolf. Fortunately, the wolf was nursed back to health and returned back to its natural habitat after receiving medical treatment. Prior to its release, the National Environmental Agency outfitted the wolf with a GPS collar for research purposes.
We are absolutely thrilled with how things turned out, and we want to express our gratitude to everyone involved in the situation. Particularly, we give a special shoutout to the men who rescued the wolf and the doctors at the clinic who bravely cared for the wild animal. The post we shared on Facebook has been met with a lot of positivity from the general public, with many people commending the rescuers for acting swiftly to help the stranded creature. One individual commented, “Whether it’s a wolf or a dog, it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, it’s a living being that needed assistance. Kudos to those who saved its life!”