Snowmobilers dig out snowbound moose, feed him molasses bread

A man from the Triton area says he and a friend did what they could to help a moose that had exhausted itself struggling to get out a snowbank, but the animal didn't survive.

TysonWinsor said they found the moose on Saturday, while out on a snowmobile ride.

The animal was so exhausted after fighting to free itself form the deep snow,it couldn't walk away once it was out.

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"Either he was sick or had his leg broken ... he tried to get up and he couldn't," Winsor said.

The men turned off their snowmobiles and cleared some of the remaining snow from the moose.

Once the animal got up, it slipped down an embankment and stayed there, Winsor said.

Fed him molasses bread

"He was a bit uneasy, he had his ears pinned back, but after talking to him a little bit there he calmed down and relaxed, you could see his ears go up straight," Winsor told the Central Morning Show.

Winsorand his friend started talking to the animal and rubbing its fur.

"Broke off all an alder for him and asked him if he was was hungry, and put the alder out and hetook hold of it in his mouth, and just chewingon it there, and my buddy gave him some molasses bread."

They stayed with the moose for an hour, he said, and when they left, the animal seemed to be regaining some strength.

But the next day, Winsorsaid another friend told himthe moose hadn't survived, and had died where the men left it.

"After being there with him, and sort of made a connection with him, we were hoping we did what we could to get him on the go."