A Canadian man ended up getting fired from his job after saving a moose's life. On June 6, Mark Skage who worked for AFD Petroleum Inc., was driving on a road in British Columbia, Canada when he saw a moose calf on the side, with a bear on the prowl nearby. Skage pulled over and the calf attempted to climb into his vehicle.
“There was a black bear 50 yards away from her just waiting,” said Skage in a Facebook post.
“I made a decision at the time after she kept (trying) to climb into the work truck that I couldn’t just leave her there. So I stuck her in the passenger side and drove to town to get her some help,” added Skage.
On the way to the town, Skage called his supervisor and the local Conservation Office and informed them about the situation. He took the moose to a rehab center for her recovery.
Meanwhile, the petroleum company Skage worked for fired him for breaking wildlife handling laws. According to dailystar.co.uk, AFD Petroleum president Dale Reimer said:“Instead of reporting the situation to a conservation officer and allowing the authorities to handle the rescue and relocation of the moose, the individual made the independent decision to transport an uninjured moose calf, a wild animal, in the front seat of his company vehicle for many hours.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the petroleum company Skage worked for fired him for breaking wildlife handling laws. According to dailystar.co.uk, AFD Petroleum president Dale Reimer said:“Instead of reporting the situation to a conservation officer and allowing the authorities to handle the rescue and relocation of the moose, the individual made the independent decision to transport an uninjured moose calf, a wild animal, in the front seat of his company vehicle for many hours.
{{/usCountry}}“This not only put the employee and other road users at risk but also potentially caused distress and harm to the moose,” added Reimer.
Interestingly, Skage knew beforehand that he was taking the law into his hands by rescuing the moose in his vehicle.
“I just couldn’t do it, in my heart. People can say all they want. I know as outdoorsmen, we talk about predator control. … Black bears are the number one predator for those calves. So I just thought, ‘Well, I can’t take care of the predator, but I guess maybe I can try and help out this little calf,'” Skage told CBC News.
“It is against the law to pick up wild animals off the road or from out in nature, anywhere. It is illegal to be in possession of wildlife and transport wildlife,” he told the outlet.