Dramatic caribou ice rescue unfolds in scenic Canadian village
When a caribou found itself struggling for its life in the icy waters of a newly frozen harbor, a Newfoundland community didn't hesitate to help lead the trapped animal to freedom.
A dramatic rescue on the ice in northern Newfoundland, captured on video, highlights how closely people and wildlife coexist in Port aux Choix—a scenic National Historic Site of Canada.
Resident Brendon Gould said he was at home when his mother called with urgent news.
“She said, ‘There’s a caribou out, gone through the ice! What should I do?’”
Gould jumped into action when he noticed the caribou was treading water. (Brendon Gould/Provided)
Looking out, Gould noticed the caribou struggling to stay afloat in the water, and with a boat approaching, he felt a sense of urgency and leapt into action.
“I jumped up, then got dressed as quick as possible,” he said. “I grabbed a couple axes at the porch because I had full intentions to try to chop my way out to it. That’s how much I love the caribou here in our area.”
But when he arrived near his father’s fishing wharf, help was already underway.
(Brendon Gould/Provided)
His father, Vernon, and his friend Milton were approaching by boat, carefully cutting a path through the ice. The harbour had only frozen a few days earlier, making the situation especially dangerous. Caribou are excellent swimmers, but can only withstand icy water for so long.
Instead of chasing the caribou, they slowly circled her, breaking ice behind her and guiding her back toward the beach, the same direction she had come from.
After about 30 to 40 minutes in the water, the exhausted female caribou finally made it out.
After a successful rescue, the caribou could be seen walking on the ice. (Brendon Gould/Provided)
“She shook off,” Gould recalled. “She climbed over the bank to the road, and then she ran down the road as fast as she could go.”
Gould jokes that the caribou are almost too familiar with the locals in Port aux Choix, which has a population of just over 740. However, it seems that this familiarity helped turn a dangerous situation into a successful rescue.
Port au Choix is a scenic fishing village located on Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula. (Graphic: The Weather Network)