MANHATTAN — Drivers along I-90 witnessed a rare and dramatic scene Sunday — four bull elk trapped in a frozen pond. What began as a grim situation ended in a remarkable rescue, captured in full by a local photographer.
Beth Moos, a retired physical therapist who has taken up photography, said her hobby quickly turned into an opportunity to witness and document the rescue.
“I shoot the Sony A1 — it’s a 400mm lens with a 1.4 converter on it,” Moos said.
Helicopter operation saves 4 bull elk trapped in ice near Manhattan - Photographer captures dramatic rescue
Wildlife photography is more than a pastime for Moos, which is why she reacted quickly when her husband called that morning.
“He had just driven past on the freeway and seen these elk in the pond,” she said. “My husband called me, and I scooped up my gear right away.”
Moos left her home in Bozeman and headed straight to the pond in Manhattan. When she arrived, several local law enforcement officers and a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) game warden were already on the scene.
“He flagged me in to drive through, and I stopped and asked if I might be able to take a couple of photographs,” Moos said.
According to Morgan Jacobsen with FWP, the incident was reported around 9:30 a.m. Sunday.
“There was a report of four bull elk that had broken through the ice on a pond along Heeb Road between Belgrade and Manhattan,” Jacobsen said.
The rescue was complicated. The elk were in about four feet of water, surrounded by thin ice that prevented rescuers from walking out to them. The game warden tried several tactics, including purchasing ice melt to create a path toward safety and hazing the elk with rubber bullets to encourage them to move. But nothing worked.
That changed when one spectator — a pilot with Central Copters — offered to help.
“They got in very close — I estimated maybe 15 yards, but it was probably closer than that,” Moos said.
With the assistance of the helicopter, the elk were guided toward shore. Moos, camera in hand, documented the moment they escaped the freezing water.
“I did get a shot of the elk coming through,” she said. “Apparently, they had to jump one fence on the shoreline, which the officer was surprised they were able to do.”
After leaping another fence into a nearby field, the elk were free. FWP officials said they have not seen the elk since the rescue.
“For me, to see them rescued was just a unique experience,” Moos said. “I thought, I’m probably going to have some pretty good photos. I’ll try to get them out there.”
