Soldiers expect danger, discipline, and long days outdoors — but Prikko Erich Jyri never expected his military assignment to turn into a wildlife rescue mission he would remember for the rest of his life.
Prikko was stationed with the Estonian Defence Forces near Lake Võrtsjärv, a remote, forest-lined area known for its rugged terrain and dense wildlife. One afternoon, while looking for a quiet spot away from his unit, he wandered into the woods.
That’s when he heard something moving behind him.
At first, he assumed it was a dog — but within seconds, Prikko realized this was something entirely different.
A baby moose, alone and trembling, was walking straight toward him.
A Wild Animal That Should Have Been Afraid — Instead, It Came Running
The calf didn’t hesitate.
It approached Prikko as if he were the only hope it had left in the world.
Instinctively, Prikko froze and remained perfectly still. Moose calves almost never wander away from their mothers unless something is very wrong — and there was no sign of an adult anywhere in sight.
The tiny calf sniffed him, circled him, and then pressed itself close to his side.
Then it did something that broke Prikko’s heart.
The moose began nuzzling around his armpits and chest — searching for milk.
That’s when the soldier understood the truth.
This calf was starving. And it was desperately looking for its mother.
A Soldier’s Duty Extends Beyond the Battlefield
Prikko, an animal lover, knew he couldn’t provide what the baby needed — but he also couldn’t just walk away.
So he contacted the military’s veterinary office for guidance.
They instructed him to stay put and monitor the calf until help arrived.
Within a short time, a wildlife expert reached the forest with a bottle of milk in hand.
The calf drank eagerly, finally getting the strength and comfort it had been searching for.
Prikko stayed with it until it finished, hoping that food and warmth would give the tiny moose the energy it needed to survive the night — and eventually find its mother.
When the team left, Prikko could only hope for the best.
The Sign He Was Praying For
The next morning, Prikko returned to the same spot.
The calf was gone.
But just a few feet away, he saw exactly what he had hoped for:
Large moose tracks.
And next to them — tiny ones.
The mother had returned.
She had found her baby.
Relief washed over him. In his own quiet way, he had helped save a life.
“It’s My Duty to Protect Them Too”
For Prikko, the experience was more than a touching encounter — it became a reminder of something deeper about service and responsibility.
“I wanted the calf’s mother to find him, and I was very satisfied when we found out that they really found each other,” he said.
In a job where danger and discipline often overshadow emotion, this moment stood out as one of genuine compassion — a soldier stepping in not for glory, but because it was simply the right thing to do.
A Story That Reminds Us What Compassion Looks Like
Whether on the battlefield or in the forest, real heroes act when someone — or something — needs help.
This tiny moose trusted the right person.
And that trust gave it a second chance at life.
Leave a Reply