This amazing rescue story really grabbed hold of me. It’s heartwarming to see how these volunteers invested both their time and resources to help a wolf recover from a life-or-death situation. Because without these heroes, the day wouldn’t have turned out so well for this poor wolf.
A couple was out walking along a river near Bologna, Italy when they saw him. There in the frigid water was a wolf who was unable to move as the water around him slowly turned to ice.
The couple could tell that the wolf was close to death. He had blood in his fur and was freezing in the ice-cold water. They immediately call for help and soon rescuers from a non-profit organization called Mount Adonis Rescue Centre for the Conservation and Research of Exotic and Wild Fauna arrived on the scene.
The volunteers were able to get the wolf, who became known as Navarre, out of the water. But once they had him in their arms, they realized he had stopped breathing.
But that wasn’t the only thing they noticed. They also saw that the wolf was riddled with lead pellets. As soon as they got to the shore, the volunteers got to work to make sure Navarre would survive.
The most pressing task was to get Navarre breathing again, so the volunteers immediately started giving the wolf CPR. For a few nervous seconds, nothing happened. But by a miracle, he regained consciousness and started breathing again. Once Navarre was stabilized, they rushed him to an animal hospital.
At the animal hospital, Navarre was under the care of vets, who warmed him up with blankets. In order to ensure that Navarre got the nutrition he needed, they also put him on a drip. But they were still weren’t sure he would survive.
Navarre was extremely dehydrated, had eczema, and had 35 lead pellets lodged in his body. It took a long time to rehabilitate him, but his veterinarians saw that he had the spark of life. He refused to give up.
After a couple of months of care, Navarre was ready to be released into his own fenced-in area where he could manage himself and be out in the fresh air.
Watch a video of the dramatic rescue here:
Sadly, Navarre died some months later. But we’re still grateful that these animal lovers helped him live out his life in peace.
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