Wolf Rescued from Pipe

Teamwork credited with wolf rescue. On the side of a steep slope in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, rescuers worked to successfully free a wolf with its head trapped in a heavy steep pipe. Members of the Boulder Emergency Squad, Coal Creek Fire Department, Boulder County Parks and Open Space, and Boulder County Sheriff's Department Animal Control responded and rescued the wolf with the help of a local veterinarian. (Boulder, Colorado). January 27, 2010 -- Boulder Emergency Squad-B.E.S. along with other agencies, rescued a wolf which had gotten its head stuck in a steel pipe. With medical care provided by a veterinarian, the pipe was carefully cut from around the animals head. The several hour ordeal left the wolf "...in fine condition with only some minor cuts & scrapes", according to Veterinarian Dr. Christopher Blum, VMD of Table Mountain Veterinary Clinic in Golden, Colorado. While playing, the wolf-hybrid had gotten her head stuck in a 6 inch diameter, half-inch thick, eight foot long steel pipe and had evidently been unseen for a few hours. Coal Creek Fire cut the pipe to about one foot long which made the wolf and pipe portable. But, the head was still stuck and the animal was obviously stressed. The problem was metal welded inside the pipe was trapping the wolf's head. "From the moment the wolf was brought to the clinic until it was freed, all of us melded together into a cohesive team, that made the difference", said Blum. The animal control officer agrees. "Without the assistance of Deputy Bryarly, Officer Spensieri, Coal Creek Fire Department, Boulder Emergency Squad and Table Mountain Veterinary Clinic, this wolf would have died, no question," said Brandy J. Perkins, Animal Control Officer at Boulder County. The scene was on the side of a steep hill on property where a local homeowner raises wolf-hybrids. With the need for sedation. dark approaching and far from an ideal location, the wolf was transported 20 miles to a clinic, its head still stuck in the very heavy chunk of pipe.

After a quick check by the doctor, it was apparent that the wolf was dehydrated and stressed. IVs were started and vital signs monitored as the team set up outside in the parking lot with the BES emergency lighting. The 'patient' was monitored as the rescuers used a side grinder to slowly cut away enough of the metal to get the head out. "The 'operation' was a success", said Chief Andrew Moschetti after the wolf was cleared from the metal pipe. "I am so thankful to everyone who assisted in this rescue. It is so nice to know that BES is always there when we ask for them. They [B.E.S.] provide the equipment and support we need without ever questioning it's for an "animal". These [rescuers] are great and deserve to be recognized for all the good they do!" said Perkins. * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * About Boulder Emergency Squad: B.E.S. is an all volunteer, non-profit 501c.3 technical rescue team serving the County of Boulder, Colorado. BES provides a number of technical rescue services at no charge including underwater dive rescue, swift water creek rescue, vehicle extrication, low-angle scree evacuations, animal rescue, wildland fire fighting, structural fire support, and is a trained staffing resource for the Boulder County Sheriff's Department. B.E.S. was incorporated in 1964. Contact: Andrew M. Amalfitano, Public Information Officer Boulder Emergency Squad 303-443-4081 http://www.bes-rescue.org ###