Watch: Moose plucked from hidden well in Maine

"We knew that we'd have to immobilize it to be able to remove it, because a bull moose in the rut is not an unformidable animal. And it's very powerful," Steve Dunham, a regional wildlife biologist with the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, told the outlet."

"During the rescue, biologists had to sedate the moose, which they estimated to weigh 500 pounds. To do this, they used a syringe attached to a long pole and climbed into the 8-foot well, which had a few feet of water at the bottom."

"Dunham said they administered an immobilization reversal drug to counteract the sedative. He urged local hunters not to shoot the moose this season, as the drugs may make the animal's meat unsafe for consumption."

A young bull moose became trapped in a hidden, hand-dug stone well at Cole's Sheds in Pembroke, Maine. State biologists and game wardens responded after receiving reports of the trapped animal. Biologists estimated the bull weighed 500 pounds and sedated it using a syringe attached to a long pole, then climbed into the well that contained a few feet of water. Rescuers used straps and an excavator to lift the drowsy moose clear of the well. An immobilization reversal drug was administered and the moose walked away unharmed. Hunters were urged not to shoot the moose due to possible drug contamination of the meat.

Read at Boston.com