A bull moose was rescued Wednesday after falling into a hidden, old well on private property in Pembroke.
Delaney Gardner, who filmed the rescue, said her brother, Cole Brown, found the moose trapped while working nearby on their family’s recently purchased property.
A bull moose rests after being rescued from a well. Credit: Courtesy of Delaney Gardner
It’s unclear how long the animal had been stuck, but once authorities were notified, a team of responders worked for five hours to free the moose.
Roughly a dozen people, including Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife wardens and biologists, used an excavator and heavy tow straps to hoist the exhausted animal out of the well. Afterward, the moose quickly regained its footing and walked away from the site.
The property had been overgrown with tree growth for many years, and the well had remained unnoticed until the moose’s fall. Decades earlier, the land was home to a large cow barn that burned down 50 years ago.
The well has since been securely covered and will be permanently sealed to prevent future accidents involving wildlife, according to Gardner.
