Workers Save Shivering 'Dog' Only To Be Surprised It Was No Dog At All

Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor

Sep 20, 2021 11:00 AM EDT

Sometimes, even during the most routine moments, the unexpected can happen.

What started as a completely normal day for three Estonian dam workers, Rando Kartsepp, Robin Sillamäe, and Erki Väli, turned out to be the most amazing experience. One of the men spotted something frozen in the lake - a dog, struggling helplessly in the frozen water. The men, kindhearted and wonderful, rushed to help the dog without a second thought.

They managed to quickly take the dog out of the water and wrapped him up in a thick blanket to keep him warm until they managed to get him somewhere safe. When they took a look at the dog, they found that it had piercing yellow eyes and very thick fur that must have helped him from freezing in the water. They didn't think twice about it though, assuming that it was simply a unique dog.

Little did they know that it was not a dog at all.

Continue reading the story and check out pics of the rescue below!

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As reported by Paws Planet, the 'dog' was shivering and in poor condition. He survived the drowning, but his temperature was low, and he was facing the risk of hypothermia. Dropping their work again to help the animal, the men took the animal to the veterinary clinic for proper care. Along the way, in the men's pickup truck, the canine fell asleep, placing its head on Kartepp's lap and closing its eyes.
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Amazingly, even the vets in the hospital were a bit confused - not about what was wrong with the animal but about the animal's identity. They simply could not figure out the breed of the dog. So, they contacted a local hunter, who immediately knew what was wrong. It turned out, incredibly, that the survivor actually wasn't a domestic dog, it was a wolf.
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The rescuers, as surprised as everyone, were thankful that the wolf did not attack them along the way. The wolf truly was docile. But, considering everything, they knew the calmness wouldn't last very long. The hurt wolf was just waiting to find a good chance to reveal his personality.
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After the one-year-old wolf regained some of its strength, it began to behave like any normal wolf would do. Unfortunately, that meant that, while the wolf was recovering, to keep everyone else and the wolf itself safe, the vets had to put the wolf in a cage.
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Luckily, he did not have to stay there for long. He regained his strength fully soon enough, and once he did, and the vets deemed him healthy enough, he was released back into the wild to live the life that he was always supposed to. To ensure that the wolf would stay safe for a long time, the Estonian National Environmental Agency even equipped him with a GPS collar to trace his location.
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The second the wolf was out of his cage, he ran off at top speed. Kartsepp and the others told him goodbye one last time, marking the end of their incredible story.
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But, there is a short update for everyone! A month after being released into the wild, the wolf was spotted again in perfect shape, just over 70 miles from where he was released. It looks like the handsome man is doing great!
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