While on a crab-fishing boat off the coast of Labrador, Canada, Mallory Harrigan noticed something odd. About 4 miles off shore was an iceberg. The odd thing about the iceburg that got her attention first was the shape. A mushroom shaped iceberg…how odd but on top was something even odder.
“We thought it was a baby seal,”
But as the boat got a little closer they began to realize what it was. It wasn’t a baby seal, in fact, it wasn’t even a sea animal.
It was an Arctic fox!
The crew decided that rather than leave the fox to face a long agonizing death, they would try to help. They pulled the boat up alongside the iceberg and managed to wrestle the critter to safety.
“We were able to get him aboard even though he fought it,” Harrigan said. “We knew we were his only chance for survival, as the winds had changed and were driving all the ice farther out to sea.”
It was as if the fox knew this was his last shot at survival.
The rescuers got a bed together for their new passenger so the exhausted guest could get warm and rest. They supplied him with food and water to regain his strength. Then they began the journey home to dry land.
When they reached land the fox took a few more bites of food and the crew set him free.
“We dropped him off in an old doghouse,” she said. “He shook himself off and that was it!”
“We’re glad to have saved an animal,” Harrigan said, noting the fox seems to be doing well, and appears occasionally to remind his rescuers of the life they saved. “We can still see him from time to time!”
