Doing The Right Thing : Calm Down and Carry On

"I made a decision at the time after she kept trying to climb into the work truck that I couldn't just leave her there."

"After the second time she tried to get in, I looked up across the road, I just happened to glance over there — and halfway across the ditch, maybe like 50 yards, there was a black bear standing there."

"I just couldn't do it, in my heart. People can say all they want. I know as outdoorsmen, we talk about predator control. … Black bears are the No. 1 predator for those calves. So I just thought, 'Well, I can't take care of the predator, but I guess maybe I can try and help out this little calf.'"

"The officers [Conservation Officers] will typically just dispatch the animal. As I wasn't OK with that I tried to find someone to take care of her until we could figure out a better plan."

"The CO service was absolutely awesome and it was not only a relief but a real experience seeing that they too had some compassion. Thank you to them for that."

"Did I do all the right things[?] Did I say all the right stuff[?] Likely not ... but I do know that whatever anyone else thinks the calf's mom was not there. The bear was."

"I did what I felt was the right thing."

British Columbia resident Mark Skage

Mark Skage says he rescued a baby moose from a bear on the side of the highway north of Fort Nelson, B.C. but was fired for breaking the company's wildlife protocols. (Submitted by Mark Skage)

Mark Skage is a man who worked for an Edmonton head-quartered supplier of fuel, lubricants and bulk tanks. While he was driving his work truck north of Fort Nelson, British Columbia, he recounts having seen a black bear stalking the "few-days-old baby cow calf moose". Its mother, he said, was nowhere in sight. The calf was at the side of the highway, wandering about and was close to being hit by passing vehicles. Which led this man to stop. The "just waiting" bear informed him that the calf was in deep trouble.

He opened the passenger-side door of the work truck owned by AFD Petroleum Inc., and the calf made its way into the passenger side, seating itself on the floor next to the driver. Which was, apparently, how they were situated, next to one another for the next five and a half hours as Mr. Skage drove toward Fort Nelson, looking for help for the calf. "Her and I kind of bonded on the ride home. I mean, shucks, we had, like, 5½ hours in the pickup truck together."

 

Mark Skage was driving near Fort Nelson, B.C., when he saw a black bear approaching a moose calf, so he wrangled the moose into his truck and drove it five hours to safety. Still from Video

"Instead of reporting the situation to a conservation officer and allowing the authorities to handle the rescue and relocation of the moose, the individual made the independent decision to transport an uninjured moose calf, a wild animal, in the front seat of his company vehicle for many hours."

"This not only put the employee and other road users at risk but also potentially caused distress and harm to the moose."

"The only actions which put the animal in danger were those of Mr. Skage. Not only did he put himself and other road users at risk by capturing and transporting this animal but also caused distress and potential harm to the moose, having failed to contact conservation authorities at any point." 

AFD president Dale Reimer

Mr. Skage evidently alerted AFD about the incident, along with the province's Conservation Officer Service. His decision-making and subsequent actions in conveying the calf to town out of the wilderness forest abraded the company's wildlife protocols. AFD Petroleum stated its awareness of the incident and that their employee breached the company's protocols on interactions with wildlife. And so, he was fired from the company.

For his part, Mr. Skage says that if there any fines that might be imposed as a result of the incident, he is prepared to pay them. An online petition was gathering signatures calling for his employment reinstatement. In a Facebook post Mr. Skage felt like "a big weight" was off his chest when the calf he named Misty had been placed at the Rimrock Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, in Dawson Creek, B.C.

Twice over the course of the long drive, he said, the calf had attempted to clamber to his side of the truck. When he placed his hand on her chest she "calmed down again and we carried on". 

Mark Skage says he rescued the baby moose, seen here looking out the truck window, from a bear. (Submitted by Mark Skage)