Due to the nature of their profession, soldiers are used to having responsibilities and this is
more than true for one soldier who ended up being approached by a moose calf while in the woods,
what happens next is truly shocking. A protector for all. A unique encounter
began when Eric Jerry Pryco, a soldier in the Estonian Army and some of his soldier friends,
were moved to a different military base. This one was located south of where they were usually
stationed, quite close to the Vorshtars River. Every year, a military exercise takes place in
Estonia, which has been held since the country gained independence in 1991.
That year, the exercise was called, SEAL 2018. As the main purpose of this unit was training,
Eric was taken by surprise when he encountered something that didn't fit his regimen.
Deep in the woods, a group of Estonian soldiers were diligently going through the exercises,
Eric was working hard, but on a long, hot day and at the end he had to go to the bathroom.
Little did he know that a short break could be so impactful.
As he walked deeper into the forest his ears picked up the faintest sound, like the cry of
an animal -- could it be a cat or a small baby? he thought worried and curious at the same time.
Eric did not move from his spot, for it seemed that the high-pitched wailing was
getting louder and louder. At some point, a creature came out of the trees. When the
man first saw the animal he assumed it was a dog, as its size was similar to that of a dog.
Although the beginning was unclear, he thought it was cute, then the creature began to come
even closer and with each step, it began to look more and more like something else. It
turned out that this creature approaching him was a baby moose and it looked like it was trying to
tell him something. Eric could sense that the little guy was anxious about the situation,
looking around he became a little worried when he realized that she was alone. The soldier had
a soft spot for animals and the last thing he wanted to do at that moment was to scare it,
he slowly lowered himself to the ground, hopefully it wouldn't look threatening in that position.
The baby moose watched Eric from behind a leafy bush. The man's tactic seemed to have worked as
the little calf soon moved away from the bush and towards where he was sitting. Suddenly he stopped,
it was as if he was watching Eric, trying to gauge if he was a good person to approach.
It didn't take long for the calf to make its decision and soon Eric felt the lonely
animal nuzzling him. Finally, he understood why the calf was crying and why it had gone
to someone for help - it was hungry. As much as Eric wanted to feed it,
he had no way to do so. What the baby really needed was its mother, with that thought in mind,
he quickly searched the area, he tried his best scouring the woods high and low but found no trace
of the mother moose. Feeling a bit discouraged and of an alternative plan, he would seek out
the local veterinarian and ask for help. Not only was the calf alone and vulnerable
to danger, but she had also come to him for help, surely their paths had crossed for some
reason and now Eric felt he should do his duty to protect others as every soldier should be.
The veterinarian offered some of the most helpful advice he could think of it was probably best for
the calf to remain in the place where Eric had found him. In the event that the mother
was looking for her baby, that area of the forest should be undisturbed, to facilitate the search.
While it wasn't a perfect plan, it was all they had for that moment. The vet promised Eric that
he would get in touch with someone so the little guy could get a little more help.
Eric and the elk calf returned to the spot where they had first met.
After a while, the person the veterinarian had contacted also came over, fortunately for the
calf, that person was carrying a very valuable object, a bottle of milk. After several hours
of hunger, the little one was finally fed, although this solved one of the problems,
the biggest one was hovering over Eric's head like rain clouds. What was to become of the baby?
It was still missing its mother, although leaving it in the forest was part of the plan, the man
found himself unable to do so. The mother's return was a long shot that Eric was not willing to take.
That night he and other soldiers approached where the baby moose was,
the moon was high in the sky and most people were asleep, but they were alert and ready to protect.
In the middle of the night a sound echoed from inside, it was a call specifically that
of an adult moose, upon hearing it the soldiers made no movement, however, Eric and some other
soldiers the next morning checked the place where they had left the baby and it was gone.
When Eric looked at the scene a little closer, he noticed that there were large,
deep footprints on the ground, they were fresh, clearly indicating that
they belonged to the calf's mother and that the little creature was no longer helpless,
it had found its mother. Remembering all that had happened, he felt that he had
fulfilled one of his responsibilities as a soldier. "I wanted the little one's mother
to find him and I felt very satisfied when we learned that she actually did," he said.
Anything for a friend, Specialist Hayden was part of the U.S. Army when he was deployed overseas.
He met a cat with whom he would go on to develop a deep bond of loyalty. At the base of operations,
Hayden couldn't help but notice how a small feline would visit the area on a regular basis,
there was one place it was particularly fond of, the top of the pallet pile.
The cat would sit and watch everyone, however, he was incredibly shy. When a person approached him,
or even got too close he would run away in terror. However, Hayden was intrigued by
this little animal. One day he decided to approach the cat and sit next to it.
Despite his habit of running away from everyone, he seemed to see something different in Hayden.
Without a second thought, he gave him a rather appropriate name:
Tiger. Hayden made sure to feed Tiger every day, providing it with the care and companionship
it had never received because it was a stray. It was as if all its fear of humans disappeared when
Hayden was around. started visiting the base more than usual, until it became a daily occurrence.
Every day Hayden looked forward to seeing his new furry friend and soon Tiger became very friendly
and open to physical affection. When it came to the base and it saw Hayden it would run to him.
Tiger also found a new and more comfortable resting place. Instead of the wood it rested on
Hayden's shoulders. Then Tiger, which turned out to be a female cat, became pregnant and ended up
becoming the mother of three adorable cubs. Luckily, all these kittens were adopted,
finding a stable home in which to reside. However, the same cannot be said for their mother. Hayden
has a family and home waiting for him in the United States and eventually must leave home base.
Although he wants nothing more than to take Tiger with him, there are rules that prevent him from
doing so. International adoption can be a very complicated process and can also cost a fortune.
The idea of Tiger returning to the same lifestyle she once had not only bothers
Hayden, but everyone who has heard of her story. She would have no solid shelter,
and no one to support her. So, she would have to go back to wandering the streets alone.
"Tiger and I have become inseparable, and I can't imagine leaving her behind when I
live thousands of miles away," explained Hayden. Anyone with a heart would be saddened to learn
of their separation, however, this is not the end for them. Hayden is not giving up on Tiger.
There is a non-profit organization called "Paws of War" that specifically helps veterans bring
home pets they knew during wartime. Hayden contacted them in hopes that
something could be done for his case. Derek Cartwright is a veteran who is the logistics
coordinator in the U.S. and is doing everything he can to help Hayden and his feline friend.
Derek commented on the situation, "CPS Hayden had a strong bond with Tiger and now she needs to be
sent safely home to the United States. We want to do everything we can to help make this happen,
but we require the public's help to successfully carry out the mission"
Hayden has said that he is not only grateful for the help of Paws of War, but also,
for the community that supports the organization. If you have been touched by the kindness of the
people in any of these stories, let me know in the comments below and don't forget to like the video.