Not only because of their large size but also because they have a reputation for being territorial and sometimes violent, people often don’t think about keeping moose as a pet. There are, however, sometimes where the rules can be broken, especially when these otherwise wild animals need a little love and affection.
Erikas Plucas found this out for himself when he found a stranded baby moose on his land. He could have never predicted the incredible relationship that they would go on to develop. Even beyond that, he would learn an amazing lesson about how these wild animals can surprise us in unforeseen ways. Keep reading to learn the life-changing story of Plucas and his moose friend.
1. An Easy Life
Some may say the Erikas Plucas lived an easy life on a farm in rural Lithuania. Especially since he was in a remote and forested area, enjoying and exploring the natural world and wildlife was simply a part of his everyday existence.
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Erikas loved his quiet and serene life, as he didn’t have to worry about all the commotion and stress of the far-away city. Still, on one day just like every other, something so unexpected happened that his life would never be the same—ever.
2. Like Any Other
On one day like any other, Plucas came home to a big surprise at his gate. Lying nearby, seeming pretty helpless, was a little baby moose. He was shocked to see that this poor baby was just sitting there, almost motionless.
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He figured that the moose must have wandered over to his farm from the woods, but still, he couldn’t get rid of the feeling in his gut that something was amiss. As he came closer to the abandoned calf, he realized that something that was deeply unsettling.
3. Detective Mode
Once he saw the baby moose lying all alone, Plucas immediately went into detective mode. He figured that the baby’s mom had to be around here somewhere, but still he just couldn’t locate her.
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After establishing that it was alone, Plucas went up to the moose very carefully in order to not scare it. As he got closer, he realized that this baby moose was within the first two weeks of its life and was in fact, a girl! Unfortunately, She didn’t seem to be doing very well and Plucas resolved to figure out the mystery of her mother’s fate.
4. Hunted
It seemed to Plucas that her mom was a hunted victim, and so, trying to find a safe place to call home, the baby ran to his farm to escape. It also appeared that she had suffered some injuries in her journey.
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“The first sight of her was heartbreaking,” Plucas told The Dodo. This innocent moose was incredibly scared and at-risk, and so Plucas knew that he had to intervene before it was no longer an option—especially if some terrible predators found her.
5. To the Rescue
“She was starved, dirty, sad, and her fur was infested with flies,” Plucas explained to The Dodo. Not only did this little moose seem to be in an awful condition, but she was also very scared of Plucas himself and shook as he got closer.
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She wasn’t even strong enough to get up and flee, so Plucas made the decision then and there to come to her aid. He picked her up in his arms and brought her into his home. As he tried to figure out his next move, he had no idea just what was in store for him and his new friend.
6. Making a Call
Once the baby was safely inside his home, Plucas made a call to Animal services, Unfortunately, they couldn’t make it out to him until the following day, so it was up to him to care of her overnight and to do his best to protect her in this time of need.
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He then decided to ring up some friends and consult them on what to do next. Expecting some helpful tips on how to feed and care for the animal, instead, he received snide jokes. He probably regretted picking up the phone in the first place.
7. Unexpected Backlash
Just like what most people do when they need help, Plucas consulted with those closest to him. He had no idea the kind of unexpected backlash he would receive. They said things like, “It is illegal, you should not do it. Let nature take care of it.”
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Once he realized that he wasn’t going to get any aid from anyone, he gathered some leaves and fetched some milk in hopes that the moose would eat a bit. He got ready for the long night ahead as he began nursing the sick calf back to health. He could not afford to wait.
8. Difficult Circumstances
Animal Services didn’t even come through in the end. Since Lithuania doesn’t have any organizations dedicated to caring for orphaned wildlife, all Animal Services could do was call some hunters to ask if they wanted to take in the baby moose.
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Plucas was certain that he could not give up the calf to hunters, as he knew that it would spell the end for his little friend. He decided to ask Animal Services if he was allowed to keep her. Though his friends may have thought it was illegal, would Animal Services have a different take on these difficult circumstances?
9. Emma
He was shocked to hear that, so long as he was committed to taking care of her alone, it was OK for him to keep the little moose on his farm. They would not be able to help in any capacity, so he had to be sure that he knew what he was getting into.
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Still, he was thrilled to welcome this baby into his family. He decided to call her Emma. The first couple of weeks were very difficult—it was almost like being a dad all of a sudden. Emma needed feeding every few hours and couldn’t be left on her own for very long.
10. Bonding
Emma and Plucas began bonding. Every time he left the house without her, she began crying, so he decided to start sleeping out in the barn next to the calf or in the field so that she would feel safe and secure.
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Their relationship grew stronger every day, and Emma started to feel braver. “She was afraid of everything but me,” Plucas reported to The Dodo. Once she had made so much progress and figured out that she was finally safe, Plucas needed to make a plan for the next step.
11. Into the Woods
As she got bigger and bigger, Plucas knew that he had to reintroduce her to her natural habitat, the woods. They often went on walks together, and he showed her what was and wasn’t safe. He wanted her to eventually feel comfortable enough to return one day to her proper home.
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In the beginning, Emma was really scared of the woods. However, since she felt so safe with Plucas, she would follow him wherever he went as he assisted her to search for foods. He wanted to show Emma how to take care of herself as any other wild moose. Would Emma ever be a wild animal again? Could she survive alone?
12. A Real Adult
As she grew older, Emma eventually got used to living in the forest. Once she had become a real adult, she felt very comfortable in the woods and started to venture off alone for hours at a time.
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At this time, Plucas began worrying and started having feelings not too far from a concerned dad who is watching their babies take off into the world by themselves. “I remember those first nights she didn’t come home,” reported Plucas. “Oh, I barely slept. But she grew up, I had to get over it. After all, it was my goal from the very beginning.” But Emma was about to bring Plucas a big surprise.
13. An Unbelievable Relationship
Even though Emma grew up and moved out of their home together, that didn’t mean this unbelievable relationship didn’t continue on. She made sure to pay regular visits to her best friend every single day.
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They had a truly unbreakable connection. She always came by every day for a couple of hours to swim and play, and Plucas anticipated her visit by getting some special treats ready. Yet an even bigger surprise was waiting in the wings for lucky Plucas.
14. Another Challenge
Emma had a hard time interacting with humans besides Plucas since he was the only one that she could truly trust. He explained, “To me, she is gentle and loving. She is very careful when we are playing, so she would not hurt me.”
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Now that she was a fully-grown moose, she was confronted with another challenge: the fearsome hunters! Plucas came up with an idea to help, as he stilled cared very much about his friend’s safety.
15. A Plan
Plucas was overjoyed that Emma had become an independent animal and roamed free in the wilderness, but he fretted that she could be a victim of hunters just as her mother had before. He was distressed with the thought of losing his precious Emma, yet keeping her with him on the farm wasn’t an option either.
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To try and win their hearts and minds, Plucas decided to invite the hunters over to his place. He reported to The Dodo, “I had some hunters over for them to see her as not just a nice, warm steak with potatoes and vegetables on the table, but as a very intelligent and loving animal.” Would this plan be of any use?
16. Success
His plan was ultimately successful. Once the hunters saw the loving bond between Emma and Plucas, they really changed their ways. Some promised not to hunt Emma, while others swore that they would never again hunt a moose at all.
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The biggest win for Plucas was that some of the hunts were so moved that they decided to drop their weapons and quit hunting entirely. He was overjoyed to hear this, and then Emma brought home an even bigger surprise beyond his wildest dreams.
17. The Big Surprise
After spending some time out alone in the wild, Plucas began to notice some changes in Emma’s body. Her stomach was looking a little bigger and rounder than normal. He was convinced that she had become pregnant, another reassuring sign to Plucas that she was living a full life in the wild. She was going to be a mom!
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Plucas and Emma have just gone to show what amazing relationships can form between people and animals. Plucas concluded, “I’m her world now and she is mine. Sometimes I wonder: was it me who saved her, or is it the other way around?” Wow, what a beautiful and inspiration line. Keep reading to hear another life lesson involving a loving relationship between a man and an animal.
18. Unforgiving Mother Nature
For this immigrant from Lithuania, seeing wildlife and other parts of nature was nothing new. Darius Sasnauskas had a little piece of land adjacent to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Yet, one day, he couldn’t help but notice something mysterious happening to a nearby family of deer.
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As he observed them, Sasnauskas realized that one fawn was lagging behind the rest of the herd. He also noticed that there was some blood still on the baby’s belly, a tell-tale sign that it had just arrived earlier that same day. Plus, he saw that it had an injured leg. Since it couldn’t keep up, the rest of the family eventually resigned itself to leaving their newest member behind.
19. Quick Thinking
Sasnauskas understood that this fawn could never live with an injured leg, especially considering all the predators in the woods. He wrote in a video caption, “I do not support keeping wild animals as…pets. But this was [a] special situation.”
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With some quick thinking, he decided to bring this little deer, a girl, into his home to try and nurse her leg. She immediately began enjoying domestic life, including making friends with the cat and dogs. They, on the other hand, weren’t sure what to make of their new playmate.
20. Love and Affection
Even though the fawn quickly developed a relationship with Sasnauskas’s pets, she was still starving and very weak. She required care right away. Just as with any new pet, whether it’s a kitten, puppy, or fawn, the first week proved difficult. This baby deer certainly needed a healthy dose of love and affection.
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Sasnauskas gave the fawn some food every couple of hours and made sure that she didn’t feel lonely or afraid. His pets also began coming around to the new addition to the household. It seemed like all would be well in the world. Or so he thought.
21. A Beautiful Relationship
In the beginning, the fawn slept next to Sasnauskas’s bed atop an old shirt that he gave to her. She eventually became so dependent on the shirt that it was impossible for her to sleep without it. Though he may not have considered it then, Sasnauskas had saved this little deer’s life.
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The fawn, however, perfectly understood the importance of Sasnauskas to her life, and this led her to quickly become very attached. She trailed Sasnauskas like a shadow, treating him as her mother. Since she was still so frail, he also had to watch over her with care and diligence.
22. To Raise a Deer
Though he had experience with cats and dogs, raising a deer was a whole new ballpark. “I had to do some Internet search and reading to be able to understand how to [raise] a fawn… get up at night to feed her every four hours, and clean her after,” Darius reported to The Dodo.
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Plus, he fashioned a homemade splint out of an old oatmeal box in hopes of helping the baby walk. Over the course of time, she began to hobble around and started to feel better. Even better though, was the amazing friendship that came to be between the little deer and another member of the family.
23. Animal Pals
Soon after, Mack, a Bernese Mountain Dog, became fast friends with the fawn. He was often found licking her face and even started acting like her father. It didn’t take long for Mack to adopt the little deer into his pack.
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Mack stepped up to the plate to assist with her meals and her cleaning. He also kept a watchful eye over her whenever they played outside, ensuring that she didn’t wander too far away. After a short couple of days, she was walking around, good as new, and seemed much healthier.
24. Fully Recovered
Mack was delighted to see how friendly his dog and the deer had become, but he was afraid of getting too attached himself, so he decided not to name her. He understood that one day, he would have to release her back into her natural habitat, in the woods.
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He often saw the fawn’s herd come around in the evening time, so, after she was fully recovered, Sasnauskas set out to get her to rejoin them. Despite her relationship with her new family, nothing could ever replace her own mother and family.
25. Failing
Once he thought she was ready, Sasnauskas took the deer outside in the evening. He assumed that, as soon as she saw her rightful family roaming around, then she would prance off and join them. After all, that’s where she really belonged.
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She went outside with Sasnauskas because she loved and trusted him, but, whenever he tried to set her free, she just came right back. She just wasn’t ready to abandon her beloved man or her dog friend either.
26. Progress
Approximately two weeks after rescuing her, Sasnauskas took the fawn outside in the evening. He encouraged her to play in the wild so that she could become acclimated to the habitat and so that it would feel more like home to her.
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Then, out of nowhere, the fawn saw her mom in the bushes and bolted straight towards her. He was relieved and full of joy to see her once again running in the wild, as he was afraid that she had perhaps become a bit too dependent on him.
27. Rehab
This was a life-changing moment for Sasnauskas. He got to see a fawn happily and healthily running after her mother, knowing that he had made a true difference in her life. He had rehabilitated this wild animal, regardless of the fact that bringing wild animals into the home was against his principles.
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Even though the deer formed a close bond with him, natural instincts took over once she saw her mom again. Sasnauskas was glad that he had reunited the child and mother, but he could have never predicted the joy he would soon experience in the coming months.
28. His Hope
“I really hoped that she did not get attached to me too much because that would make [it] very hard for her to survive in the wild,” said Sasnauskas to The Dodo. Though some people might have preferred to let nature take its course in this situation, Sasnauskas makes a good point.
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Neither Sasnauskas nor his dog, Mack, could have ever instructed the fawn how to fend for herself in the wild. She needed to be set free if she would ever have a chance to learn these valuable skills—and the sooner the better. He also knew that she’d be much better off with her family. Yet the story is far from over.
29. A Big Surprise
Her herd usually visited Sasnauskas’s neck of the woods every autumn, often milling around the fence because of its relative safety. When he said goodbye, Sasnauskas didn’t think he’d ever lay eyes on the baby deer doe again. He figured that she would grow into an adult and become indistinguishable from the rest.
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Well, he wasn’t entirely right about that. A mere few months later, he was in for a big surprise. Sasnauskas spotted the deer jumping through the grass, running at full speed with her family. This was just more confirmation that he had done a good deed in the world.
30. Social Media Reacts
Sasnauskas reported his doings on Social Media so that the world could follow along. His care for nature and his selflessness quickly led to his posts going viral. People around the world loved to watch him and the cute fawn get along. It’s really pretty adorable, don’t you think?
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This also gave him an avenue to share his thoughts about wildlife rehabilitation with the world. He was glad that he had saved this deer’s life, and the positive attention that he earned was just an added bonus. He gives thanks in one video, writing, “I didn’t expect this story to become so popular. I am sure that any of us with a little bit of a conscience about our existence, with love for nature and animals, would do the same.”
31. Sharing Tips
On his YouTube channel. Darius Sasnauskas shares tips, advice, and other information about wildlife with his viewers. In one video in the series on rehabilitating the fawn, he shows a video of giving the little baby deer a nice bath.
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In the video’s caption, he says, “until few weeks old, fawn needs help to get cleaned and get help to go to the bathroom, and that’s what usually mother doe does, but in this case, I had to do it.”
32. Meal Time
He also shared info about mealtime, especially those that involved waking up in the middle of the night to feed his beloved friend. This is the same thing that a doe in the wild has to do, but now that responsibility fell on his shoulders.
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In one video, he wakes up at 2 AM to feed the baby deer right off his bed. He says that the first bottle was a bit too big for her to handle, so he had to buy a baby bottle from a nearby pharmacy. Look, it’s just the right size!
33. A Year Passes
A year passed before Darius Sasnauskas ever saw the baby deer again. Luckily for us, he was able to record it for a YouTube video that he titled “Baby deer a year after the rescue and release.” By now, though, she was not a child anymore. She was growing into a full-sized deer!
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In the video, we see the baby deer, her mom, and another sibling roaming around close to his land. Sasnauskas said that his friend no longer recognizes him and so is scared if he tries to get close. This story isn’t the only one of rescuing a deer, though. In some cases, people have rescued entire families in places that you would never expect.
34. What’s That?
On a cold October day, Tom Satre was boating with his family in Taku Inlet, a waterway that’s approximately seven miles from Juneau, Alaska. He was sailing on his 62-foot-long charter boat, hoping to spend some quality time with his family before the dead-cold of winter set in.
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Alongside him was his sister, Sharon Kelly, his brother, Tim, and his daughter, Anna. As they sailed through the waters, she was observing the surrounding area through a pair of binoculars. Then, suddenly, she noticed a mysterious shape far off in the water.
35. Aquatic Deer
The boat gradually pulled closer to the strange forms. They thought that maybe it was birds or sea lions in the water, but, when they realized what they were actually looking at, their minds were blown! They were staring right at a family of swimming, aquatic deer.
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Everyone was absolutely stunned to see four deer in the water beside them. They stopped the boat nearby, and the four Sitka black-tailed deer started approaching them. Tom said, “They swam right toward the boat… then, they started to circle the boat. They were looking up and looked like they needed help.”
36. All Aboard!!
It becomes immediately obvious that these deer needed someone to rescue them from the chilly Alaskan water. Tom Satre explained that he had never encountered deer in such peril, as he noticed that they were “foaming at the mouth” and could barely keep their heads above water. But how would the family bring them onto their boat?
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He figured that they were still fairly young bucks because they barely had any antlers yet. To haul them in, he created a makeshift lasso with some rope, put it around each one’s neck in turn, and the entire family worked together to pull them up onto the deck.
37. Tired Animals
Deer may usually be scared of humans and run away if you get to close, but these deer couldn’t have been happier to be near people on the boat. Still, this wasn’t the end of their troubles. As soon as they were aboard, these tired animals collapsed from sheer fatigue.
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“They couldn’t stand up on their own… they couldn’t shake the water off their coats,” Kelly recalled. “I didn’t want to touch them, but it was clear they were happy to be there. They probably would have crawled on board if they could have.”
38. Hold On, We’re Going Home
The Satre family headed, deer in tow, towards dry land. As they rested, the deer became more animated. They loved laying in the sun and warming their cold bodies. At last, once stood. They seemed so relieved to be alive and well.
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As soon as they pulled up to the dock, one buck jumped straight off the boat. He plunged into the water and then swam the rest of the way to shore before darting into the forest. Another deer followed suit as the Satres encouraged him. The fourth deer, however, didn’t look so good.
39. The Final Deer
Tom Satre reported, “The last one was in real trouble… I think he was the biggest of the four. He couldn’t get the water off him. I messaged him, he was shaking and was very hypothermic, I think.” This final deer couldn’t stand by himself once they go to shore, so the Satres stowed him in a wheelbarrow and transported him themselves.
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As this poor deer slowly began to thaw out, he seemed more alert and aware of his surroundings. The family aided him in his attempts to stand until, at last, he hobbled into the forest to join his friends.
40. Why Were They There?
By the reckoning of Riley Woodford, an employee of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, these deer may have taken to the water as a refuge from predators, may have been driven out via natural “adolescent dispersal,” or maybe they were even hungry and looking for a meal.
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He continued on that deer can “ramp up body heat… Like in the winter, they’ll just ramp up their metabolism. A deer could, however, just become completely exhausted.” We should, however, take a moment to note that, in dire scenarios like this, you actually shouldn’t ever “rescue” a wild animal. It may prove dangerous to both the rescuer and the animal.