Current Date: 10 Apr, 2026
{{entry.title}}

Estonians save a wolf from the ice by mistaking it for a dog

Two young construction workers in Estonia discovered what they thought was a dog caught in a frozen lake. They carried it to their car and brought him to an animal shelter, not realizing it was a wolf.

Unaware that they were going to load a wild wolf into their car, a group of kind-hearted Estonian workers hurried to save a puppy from a frigid river on Wednesday.

When the guys discovered the animal stuck in the chilly water, they were constructing the Sindi dam on the Parnu river.

They carried the frozen dog to a clinic for treatment after breaking through the ice.

It wasn’t until then that it became clear they were transporting a wolf.

Estonians save a wolf from the ice by mistaking it for a dog 1
The wolf was covered in ice when pulled from the near-frozen water. Photo Credit: Eupa

The wolf had low blood pressure when it arrived at the vet’s office, according to the Estonian Union for the Protection of Animals (EUPA), which could have contributed to its gentle behavior when the guys transported it to their car to warm it up.

One of the men, Rando Kartsepp, told the Estonian newspaper Postimees: “We had to carry him over the slope. He weighed a fair bit.”

He slept on my legs, seemed peaceful, and raised his head briefly when I wished to stretch them.

Veterinarians were unsure of the true nature of the huge dog, but a local hunter who was familiar with the wolves in the area was able to identify it as a young male wolf that was around a year old.

Estonians save a wolf from the ice by mistaking it for a dog 2
“He was calm, slept on my legs,” Mr Kartsepp said of the journey to the vet’s office. Photo Credit: Eupa

With this new knowledge, the clinic personnel made the decision to confine the wolf following treatment in case it lost its docility after healing.

The EUPA said that it had covered the cost of the animal’s care and that “fortunately, everything worked out well.”

The wolf survived its close encounter with death within a day and was later released back into the wild after being given a GPS collar by scientists from the national environmental agency.

The men who saved the wolf and the clinic’s medical staff, who did not hesitate to treat and care for the wild animal, are to be commended, according to EUPA, who also expressed their happiness with the ending of the story.

Hundreds of wolves live in Estonia, but only a small number of them have recently been collared. In general, they stay away from people.

It was chosen as Estonia’s national animal by a collection of environmental organizations last year.

Similar Stories
The WWII Parachute Wedding Dress

The WWII Parachute Wedding Dress

Major Claude Hensinger jumped out of a B-29 bomber during World War II when the engine caught fire. He was saved by his parachute. Later, he requested that his fiancée Ruth make him a gown out of the same parachute. The dress is now on display at the Smithsonian Institute.

Mystery of 300-year-old mummified mermaid is being probed

Mystery of 300-year-old mummified mermaid is being probed

There is a 300-year-old mummified mermaid with 30 centimetres tall and features a human-like head, two hands with what appear to be fingernails, and its lower body that look like a fish tail. The “mermaid mummy” is being probed by Japanese scientists in an attempt to unravel the mystery of its existence.

Abraham Crijnssen – The Ship That Disguised Itself As An Island

Abraham Crijnssen – The Ship That Disguised Itself As An Island

During World War II a Dutch minesweeper evaded the Japanese for eight days disguised as an island. The crew covered the decks in cut trees and painted exposed surfaces to look like rocks. They moved only at night and anchored closed to shore by day, eventually escaping to Australia.

24-year-old burglar beaten by retired boxer victim

24-year-old burglar beaten by retired boxer victim

A 24-year-old knife-wielding burglar attempted to get into the home of a 72-year-old senior in Oxford, England, in 2009, but was left battered, bruised, and pinned to the ground. Frank Corti, the elderly, turned out to be a former boxing champion.

JBJ Soul Kitchen: Bon Jovi's community restaurant

JBJ Soul Kitchen: Bon Jovi's community restaurant

JBJ Soul Kitchen is a community restaurant by Jon Bon Jovi with no prices on the menu; customers donate to pay for their meals. If you are unable to donate you may do volunteer work in exchange for your family’s meal.

A U.S. Submarine Collides with a Japanese Fishing Ship in 2001

A U.S. Submarine Collides with a Japanese Fishing Ship in 2001

In 1998, 14-year-old Michael Crowe was charged with the murder of his sister. The police started targeting him after he seemed “distant and preoccupied” when his sister’s body was discovered, and during interrogation, police coercion led him to make a false confession. He was later declared factually innocent and the family won a lawsuit of $7.25 million in 2011.

The accidentally discovery of Riace bronzes

The accidentally discovery of Riace bronzes

Stefano Mariottini was snorkeling off the coast of Monasterace near Riace in 1972 when he noticed a human hand sticking out of the sand and called the police, thinking it was a corpse. It was actually two statues of "Warriors from Riace" - 5th century BC Greek bronze statues.

Unique Dining table with a hole for your cat to peek and join you dinner.

Unique Dining table with a hole for your cat to peek and join you dinner.

Dinos, a Japanese internet shop, has launched a new range of cat furniture, which includes this oak table with a hole in the middle and a perch underneath. It places your cat companion in the center of the table, making your cat the main focus of your meal, as it should be, because cats are the true proprietors of “your” home.

Missing Masterpiece Discovered in the Background of ‘Stuart Little’

Missing Masterpiece Discovered in the Background of ‘Stuart Little’

In 2009, Gergely Barki, an art historian, was watching the film Stuart Little (1999) when he spotted an original long-lost painting used as a prop. Called Sleeping Lady with Black Vase, this painting was the work of Hungarian avant-garde painter Róbert Berény. The painting had been considered lost after World War II.

Australian man dies, comes back to life, and wins the lottery twice

Australian man dies, comes back to life, and wins the lottery twice

Bill Morgan, an Australian, is a man who has beat the odds. He escaped death by surviving a horrific automobile accident and heart attack before collapsing into a coma and going on to win the lotto twice. He went from losing virtually everything to winning far more than he could have imagined.