Mallory Harrigan who lives in Happy Valley-Goose Bay with her boyfriend Cliff Russell were crab fishing four miles off mainland Labrador in William’s Harbour, Canada, on their fishing boat named the Northern Swan when they spotted what they thought was a baby seal on a mushroom-shaped iceberg.
However, upon closer inspection, they realized that on the iceberg was no other than a starving and helpless Arctic fox who probably got stuck on the iceberg while looking for food. The Artic Fox is native to Labrador, and occasionally arrives on the island via pack ice in water and spring.
They prefer barren land, where snow is hard and shallow, as well as around the tops of ponds or river banks. Their diet includes: Lemmings mice, nesting and molting birds, eggs and flightless young. In marine areas, small marine animals and fish make up their diet.
When stranded on an ice that floe at sea they eat the remains of seals and seal pups. The animal is found throughout the entire Arctic tundra, through Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia, Norway, Scandinavia, and even Iceland, where it is the only native land mammal. Its population ranges in the hundred thousands, but fluctuate with the available lemming population. As the global warming takes its toll and the snow-line continues to recede further and further north, the range of the arctic fox shrinks.
In order to prevent the arctic fox from facing a long agonizing death from starving to death or from drowning the kindhearted crew which included Russell’s son Alan, decided a daring rescue, they used their vessel, the Northern Swan, to batter the iceberg causing it to break. They had to ram the ice to break it up, and then scoop the animal up from the cold water. “We were able to get him abroad even though he fought it,” Harrigan said. “We knew we were his only chance for survival, as the winds had changed and were driving all the ice farther out to the sea.”
After the whole rescue operation and realizing that the fox was exhausted and needed a warm rest the rescuers got a bed together for the newest member of the crew and supplied it with bread and crackers which it refused, they later offered it a tin of Vienna sausages and water which it devoured effortlessly.
They wasted no time in returning the arctic fox to dry land where its safety is at least guaranteed to an extent. On reaching dry land the fox took a few more bites of food and the crew set him free. “We dropped him off in an old doghouse,” Mallory said. “He shook himself off and that was it!” “We are glad to have saved an animal,” she concluded.
Even though the artic fox cannot verbally express its appreciation, the fact that it seems to be doing well, and appears occasionally to remind its rescuers of the life they saved makes the rescuers happy, they hope to see the artic fox from time to time.
At a time when hunting animals for fun seems to be on the increase a tale of humans helping animals is gladdening to the heart. The whole rescue team deserves a medal of honor for a job well done.
All life is precious and should be respected.