Three construction workers in Estonia thought they had rescued a dog from a freezing river. But after bringing the exhausted animal to a veterinary clinic, they discovered they had actually saved a young wolf.
Rando Kartsepp, Robin Sillamäe and Erki Väli were carrying out dredging work near the Pärnu River when they noticed what appeared to be a dog struggling in the icy water near a dam.
The workers quickly cleared a path through the thin ice and managed to pull the animal from the river. They wrapped it in a towel and carried it to their vehicle, hoping to warm it up in the freezing temperatures.
The animal was surprisingly calm during the journey. According to Rando, it rested its head on his lap and appeared to sleep peacefully. When he needed to move, the animal briefly lifted its head before settling down again.
The workers contacted an animal rescue service and were instructed to take the creature to a veterinary clinic in a nearby city. At first, even the specialists did not realize what kind of animal they were examining.
It was a local hunter who eventually identified the rescued “dog” as a wolf. The animal was confirmed to be male and approximately one year old.
Veterinary specialists later suggested that the wolf’s unusually gentle behavior may have been caused by low blood pressure after its ordeal in the freezing water.
What began as a routine rescue quickly became an extraordinary wildlife encounter. The three workers had not only saved an animal from possible death—they had unknowingly helped a young wild wolf survive one of the most dangerous moments of its life.