Moose saves drowning marmot

Thanks to Bullwinkle we've always been quietly confident that mooses (meese?) are a friendly sort.

But thanks to a moose named Shooter, we can confirm this on a natural, not just cartoon, level. The four-year-old was photographed rescuing a drowning marmot at Pocatello Zoo, Idaho.

Keepers were concerned when Shooter started turning his nose up at his water. He was then spotted dipping his hooves into his drinking trough - before dunking his entire head in.

Finally he emerged clutching a tiny marmot in his mouth. Placing the spluttering squirrel on the floor he tapped it with a hoof to make sure it was alive and watched on as the rodent raced into some bushes. Pin a medal on that moose. Or just pat him on the nose.

Image: Caters