Michelle Oakley is a vet in the Alaskan Yukon (There’s a National Geographic reality TV show about her). In this video excerpt, Dr. Oakley has been asked to examine the teeth of an elderly bull Moose named Nelson, who lives at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. The seven-year-old, 1300-lb Nelson is known for being the “biggest and most cantankerous” moose at the center, so Dr. Oakley has her work cut out for her.
She fills a pole-mounted hypodermic syringe with a sedative and enters Nelson’s pen and jabs him in the flank. She succeeds in delivering part of the knock-out drug before the moose gets wise to her and charges her. She’s able to run out of the pen before getting trampled. Fortunately, the dose Nelson received was sufficient to make him lay down and sleep.
While the doctor goes to work X-raying the moose’s teeth, the staff takes the opportunity to trim Nelson’s hooves. Dr. Oakley examines the X-rays and determines that urgent action isn’t needed.
Image: YouTube