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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsFishermen think they spot a seal atop an iceberg, it turned out to be something else entirely
https://wildlifeinsider.com/fishermen-think-they-spot-a-seal-atop-an-iceberg-it-turned-to-be-something-else-entirely/At first, the crew thought it had to be a baby seal. But after Alan pulled out the binoculars to take a closer look, he reported that it definitely was not a seal: its movements and general appearance weren't consistent. The mystery was too much: they needed to get even closer to know for sure what kind of creature this was. Unfortunately, that also meant getting closer to the iceberg on which it was sitting.
Inching the boat closer, they were finally able to identify what type of creature they this was. Not one of them expected what they discovered: it was a juvenile Arctic fox.
One of their first concerns was that the fox would panic and jump in the icy water to escape. Arctic foxes are capable of swimming but avoid it all costs due to their reliance on warm, dry fur for survival. In his condition, they didn't know if he would have the strength to keep himself above water.
When the boat gently grazed the side of the ice, the fox tried in vain to escape. But he was trapped, further exacerbating his anxiety. Eventually, the animal just froze in fear, staring at the fishermen.
We had to break the ice he was on and get him with the dipnet. He fought and fought to get away until he literally couldnt move anymore, Mallory later explained. To their huge relief, the plan worked and the fox was deposited safely onto the boat. Or so they thought.
The fox was so traumatized by the abrupt capture and transition to the boat that he promptly jumped overboard into the icy water. The crew's number one fear was now realized.
The terrified creature circled the boat as Alan tried repeatedly to grab ahold of him. The team grew more and more scared for the animal's life as it expended all of its energy paddling desperately through the frigid sea. Thankfully, Alan was finally able to get a secure enough grip to lift the fox out of the water and safely on board. This time, it was for good.
The little Arctic fox was securely on board The Northern Swan, but he was still in dire danger. He cowered away from them into a corner, shivering violently from the cold. The bitter wind seemed to get worse by the minute. The crew knew that the animal was in danger of freezing to death and began to worry aloud if they bungled the rescue.
Alan and Cliff gathered all of the towels and other makeshift covers that they could find. They approached the fox gingerly, still scared that he might lash out violently in fear. They had reason for concern about his defensive skills. The Arctic fox has many predators, including golden eagles, polar bears, wolverines, red foxes, wolves, and grizzly bears. This fellow knew how to protect himself.
When they got to the sled dog island, the crew split up: two went to look for a good kennel and one stayed behind with the fox. In a few minutes, the scouts returned to the boat with good news: they'd found a solid kennel in a nice area, with lots of little critters and stuff and freshwater ponds so that he would have food and water during his stay there.
They carried him onto the island and gently set him near the kennel. The little fox popped into the dog house straight away this was a great sign that he was feeling at least reasonably at home. He soon peeked his head out and looked around, taking in the larger environment.
One quick postscript to this joyful tale: the little fox stayed nearby! Mallory reports that they still see him from time to time, running around the island chasing small animals. A truly happy ending for all.
Phoenix61
(17,006 posts)soothsayer
(38,601 posts)Butterflylady
(3,543 posts)He is absolutely beautiful. Thank you!
Bayard
(22,074 posts)Not enough of those these days.....
Even sopping wet, he's beautiful. That last pic is a keeper.
Thanks for posting!
Baitball Blogger
(46,714 posts)Heartstrings
(7,349 posts)Beautiful markings!
CrispyQ
(36,468 posts)Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)I saw many arctic fox and some of them were very close as they were always scavenging around the chow hall. They are incredible to watch. They look very cute until you see their teeth which remind you to keep your distance.
What a beautiful fox. You get so used to the red ones, you forget the other ones.
BobTheSubgenius
(11,563 posts)I can't tell you how much I need stories like this right now. I've taken to watching animal rescue videos on TY for a small warm feeling.
Our local TV station, like every other, I imagine, has had to suspend their sports news segment, because there are no sports being played. They have replaced it with a segment called The Upside, wherein the sports guy and the weather guy travel the region to bring good news stories, and supplement them with videos from virtually everywhere. It's brilliant.
They have even started a trivia game show where teams of 2 or 3 answer questions while seated in their back yards. My next door neighbour shoots 3 teams at separate times, then comes home to edit it into a coherent show.
One camera, and L is the camera operator, producer and editor. Takes her 2 days to create an episode.
pandr32
(11,584 posts)What a beautiful animal.
McCamy Taylor
(19,240 posts)CaptainTruth
(6,591 posts)Response to CaptainTruth (Reply #15)
CatLady78 This message was self-deleted by its author.
stopwastingmymoney
(2,042 posts)UpInArms
(51,284 posts)Nasty blood sucking disease carrying ticks
Useless creatures. Though they are food for oppossums.
Response to stopwastingmymoney (Reply #36)
CatLady78 This message was self-deleted by its author.
Olafjoy
(937 posts)Bless you all!!❤️
cp
(6,628 posts)Lest we forget.
SpankMe
(2,957 posts)usaf-vet
(6,186 posts)It is always nice to be reminded there are kind people in the world.
Sadly though we have to realize there are still EVIL HEARTLESS fools in the world Donald and Eric Trump are prime example.
Hopefully, someday when they are in prison they will find out what it is like to be the prey and not the predators.
Again hopefully, that will be a daily experience for them for years. Every day of their sentence.
ffr
(22,670 posts)Wonderful!
Fla Dem
(23,671 posts)Response to Beringia (Original post)
CatLady78 This message was self-deleted by its author.
Evolve Dammit
(16,733 posts)calimary
(81,267 posts)THANK YOU, Beringia.
Virtual
Larissa
(790 posts)The news has been so consistently awful that this beautiful, miraculous rescue caused my eyes to tear unexpectedly.
onecent
(6,096 posts)StarryNite
(9,445 posts)It made my day.
lpbk2713
(42,757 posts)They could have kept on going by and no one would ever have known a thing about it.
love_katz
(2,579 posts)We all need these kinds of stories these days.
Stuart G
(38,427 posts)3catwoman3
(23,993 posts)I so need happy ending stories.
Karadeniz
(22,516 posts)BigmanPigman
(51,593 posts)I wonder how long he had been there and how he survived.
Jack-o-Lantern
(967 posts)gopiscrap
(23,761 posts)ailsagirl
(22,897 posts)ZZenith
(4,122 posts)Sad and inspiring in equal measure! Thanks.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)He's just beautiful. I am so glad that those fishermen rescued him and made sure he was safe.