If you ever wondered why you may need a cover for your window well, here’s a rather unusual example of what can happen if you don’t have one.
Earlier this week, police and wildlife officers were called to a home in Hailey, Idaho, to deal with a cow moose that was stuck in the basement after falling through one of the home’s window wells.
The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office later explained on Facebook that “deep snows have brought wildlife into town and close to homes looking for food.”
If the whole scenario seems a bit strange, and perhaps even impossible, you’ll be even more shocked to learn that this was actually the second time that one of the wildlife officers on scene has responded to a call like this. The same thing happened to a cow elk in the region just over a year ago.
When homeowner Julie Emerick discovered the moose, she called the police, who arrived on scene at around 2:20 a.m.
“It’s not something we deal with a lot, but we know how to deal with the situation,” officer Michael Shelamer told the Idaho Statesman.
The first thing they did was call Idaho Fish and Game, who attempted to coerce the moose up the stairs and out the front door. But according to a post on the organization’s Facebook page, they didn’t have much luck.
“The moose was having none of it, charging the officers several times,” they wrote. Eventually, the officers were forced to call wildlife manager Daryl Meints to request tranquilizers.
Once the moose was sedated, eight officers carried the nearly 600-pound animal up the stairs and out the front door. After laying in front of Emerick’s house for around 15 minutes, the moose woke up from its stupor and took off unharmed.
Emerick’s basement did suffer a little damage, and if the photos shared by Idaho Fish and Game are any indication, she’ll definitely need to rent a steam cleaner for her carpet.
Despite the leftover droppings, Emerick told reporters that the moose was “the most polite, gracious beast.”
