Social media users praised the rescue, though some suggested the deputy could’ve used better tools

NEED TO KNOW

• Deputy Frantz used pruning shears to free the tangled animal after a property owner requested help
• Body camera footage shows the moose calming down as the deputy reassured it during the rescue
• Wildlife officials warn people to keep their distance from moose and take any charge seriously

An Idaho sheriff’s deputy helped a young moose in a bind.

The Latah County Sheriff’s Office shared body camera footage on Instagram of Deputy Frantz cutting a juvenile moose free from a roll of wire fencing that ended up wrapped around the animal’s head and body. Authorities arrived after the property owner called for help, according to Whiskey Riff.

“This week, Deputy Frantz responded to a welfare check on a juvenile moose who was having beef with some wire,” the sheriff’s office wrote alongside the clip.

In the video, Frantz approaches the tangled animal with what appear to be pruning shears and starts snipping away at the wires. The moose kicks and grunts at first, then settles, allowing the deputy to keep working.

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Frantz keeps his voice calm throughout, reassuring the moose as he goes and at one point telling it he needs “a couple more clips.”

Once enough wire is cleared, the young moose scrambles to its feet and bolts.

“The moose was cut loose and sent on his way, safe, sound, and full of apples,” the sheriff’s office wrote.

Viewers celebrated the rescue, though several pointed out that bolt cutters or proper wire cutters might have made the job easier. Others focused on how still the animal became once help arrived. “As soon as the moose saw the cutters, it understood the assignment,” one commenter wrote.

While the rescue ended on a safe, happy note, wildlife officials caution the public about getting too close to moose. Although a moose charge is often a bluff, experts warn you should always take it seriously. The National Park Service recommends running away if one charges.

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It’s not the first moose to need a hand this year.

In June, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers freed a young bull moose tangled in a backyard play structure at a short-term rental in Fairplay, Colo., CBS reported at the time. Officers briefly stunned the animal with a taser so they could cut it free. The moose charged toward them as soon as it got up. Both the officers and the moose escaped unharmed.

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