Injured moose calf saved by animal rescue facility in Ottawa

An Ottawa wildlife rescue is helping to care for an injured baby moose found near the side of the road. CTV’s Natalie van Rooy reports.

A young, injured moose that appears to be blind has been rescued by a local organization after it was found wandering alone near a busy road in Saint Isidore, Ont., on the outskirts of Ottawa, earlier this week.

The calf also has a leg injury and is being cared for at Holly’s Haven Wildlife Rescue in Dunrobin, a facility run by nearly all volunteers.

The director of operations at Holly’s Haven is hoping to nurse the animal back to health and says they believe the calf was part of a set of twins and was likely abandoned by the mother because he is blind and couldn’t keep up.

“He’s doing okay. He’s definitely stressed, and he does call out, I think hoping to find his mom,” said Lynne Rowe, director of operations at Holly’s Haven Wildlife Rescue. “But he has been good for the staff to work with and he’s reasonably quiet … so we can interact with him and try to keep him calm. He is eating very well.”

The calf has been named Cedar.

“He was wandering around looking for mom, but unfortunately mom was probably long gone by that point because they usually have twins and when an animal gets to the point where the mom can’t look after both because one keeps falling behind, well nature has a way of dealing with that unfortunately,” said Robert Boisvert, founder of 269 Animal Rescue.

What’s next for Cedar?

The next steps are getting a farm veterinarian on site this week to do an eye exam and a mobile x-ray on the animal’s leg.

“We’re just playing it minute by minute and seeing what we can learn about the situation before we make any decisions,” said Rowe.

For now, they’re keeping Cedar comfortable in his new enclosure, which was possible because of generous donations from the public.

“The public has already pitched in the branches and the items we need for his care,” said Rowe. “What we’re really trying to do now is expand and have proper enclosures ready for these types of circumstances.”

While volunteers keep a close eye on the young calf, there’s hope that Cedar has a long and healthy life ahead of him.

The best possible outcome, according to the volunteers, is a transfer to the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary near Parry Sound, if he is in good enough health after the vet visit. There is also the possibility that he could go to an educational facility if he isn’t too stressed out.

Cedar could also be put down if his health is poor and there’s no viable options for his continued care, but the volunteers say that is the worst possible outcome and would be entirely out of their control if it happens.

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