During what seemed to be just another fishing excursion, a couple from Maine found themselves at the heart of a dramatic wildlife encounter. Using their pickup truck, they managed to save a moose calf from an attacking bear, ultimately allowing the young moose to reunite with its mother.
Todd Malcolm recounted to The Associated Press his belief that without intervention, the bear was certain to catch the calf.
Reflecting on the moment, Malcolm stated, “I knew what I had to do, and I just did it.”
A photo captured by Elvia J. Malcolm shows a bear chasing a moose calf before the Maine couple intervened, using their vehicle to assist in the animal’s safe reunion with its mother. (Elvia J. Malcolm via AP)
The Malcolms’ unexpected adventure began when they noticed a female moose near the forest’s edge in Telos Township, Maine. Seizing the moment for a photo opportunity, they stopped their truck, unaware of the tense wildlife drama about to unfold.
“I said to Elvia, I said, ‘Grab your phone because you’re going to get a chance to get a picture of a moose,’” Todd Malcolm said.
After parking their truck, the couple noticed the moose appeared unusually agitated — and, as it turned out, for good reason.
American Black Bear feeding near Princeton, British Columbia, Canada. (iStock)
Moments later, a bear and the moose calf burst from the woods and sprinted directly toward their truck, they told the AP.
Todd Malcolm said he was convinced the bear would catch the vulnerable calf and decided to intervene.
“I put the truck in drive and I just stepped on the gas,” he said.
A large Bull Moose looking at camera in a swampy wildlife refuge. (Getty Images Creatives)
Malcolm said he didn’t want to hurt the bear and only intended to put the truck between the predator and the calf.
His plan worked, and the bear darted to the side of the road before disappearing back into the woods.
“Boom, gone, right in the woods,” he said.
The ordeal was just as nerve-racking for Elvia Malcolm.
“My heart was racing because I did not want to witness the bear catching the calf,” she told the AP. “As soon as the calf got past the truck, and we were able to get the bear to give up the chase, I looked up the road and saw that they were together, the mom and the calf.”
Despite the chaos, Elvia Malcolm said she still managed to capture several photographs of the dramatic encounter.
“I really thought I probably got like a bug on the windshield when I started to look at them,” she said. “I took them through the front windshield of the truck. I wasn’t outside the truck. No way was I getting outside the truck.”
The couple later continued their fishing trip after watching the moose calf reunite with its mother.