The baby calves of a pregnant moose that was euthanized Wednesday after being struck by a vehicle are now the focus of a rehabilitation effort.
The newborn calves are at the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary where they are now under the care of wildlife experts for the next two months.
The mother moose was struck by a vehicle along Muskoka Road 3 around 5:00 a.m. Wednesday and ended up in a shallow pond.
A team of wildlife experts, veterinarians and crews from Fowler Construction worked together to pull the injured animal out of the shallow pond.
Unfortunately, it was discovered that the moose was too badly injured to survive.
Moments before the moose was euthanized veterinarians delivered the two calves, one boy and one girl, by caesarean section.
Both have names reminiscent of the ordeal. The female is named Trinita after the veterinarian who delivered her.
The male is named Fowler after the construction company that supplied the excavator for the rescue efforts.
Eventually the calves will be introduced to a moose named Ella, who is a permeant resident at the sanctuary.
“She will act as a companion animal which is the best because otherwise they have to have humans looking after them,” said Howard Smith.
The next two weeks are crucial for their survival. If all goes well, they will be released into the wild one year from now.
