Alaska man James West described how he stepped in to save the life of a wild moose choking on a plastic bag in a Facebook post March 23.
West said he drove by an array of dumpsters and observed a moose with a plastic bag hanging out of its mouth. He stopped and slowly approached the moose, according to the Facebook post.
West saw the moose making vigorous chewing motions as it stumbled with foam coming from its mouth before he realized the massive animal was choking, the post reads.
Weighing his options, West said he considered contacting animal control but felt a powerful urge to act with the clock ticking and the moose’s life seemingly hanging in the balance.
The moose was given a pumpkin meal to top it off. Yum! 😁 https://t.co/O1TNNwc7fk
— Alaska’s News Source (@AKNewsNow) March 29, 2023
West strategically approached the animal and tugged on the plastic bag before realizing it stretched a significant way down into the animal’s throat, he wrote in the Facebook post. (RELATED: Rare Video Captures Moose In Canada Shedding Antlers)
After consistently tugging, the Alaska man successfully removed the plastic bag from the moose’s throat. He remarked in the post that neither he nor the moose were injured in the process.
West said he gave the moose a nearby pumpkin as a treat and hung out with it for more than an hour after the rescue. Apparently appreciating the gesture, the moose played with the pumpkin and then devoured it, the post reads.