It’s time for Page Two: News that might not make the front page for Monday Jun 22, 2026.
A moose calf was stranded on a gravel bar in the middle of the Matanuska River at milepost 71 of the Glenn Highway last Thursday. Cars stopped at the pullout. People were looking at the calf. The river was rushing by on both sides. The current was fast enough to make anyone think twice about jumping in.
One person said the mother had made it to the highway side of the river earlier. She called for the calf, but it was spooked by the people and traffic. Another reported the calf had been crying and trying to cross.
On Friday morning the calf was still there. Only now the river was higher. An adjacent gravel bar was under water. It had been visible Thursday. There was less dry land for the calf to move around on.
It was resting. Observers worried that it would get too weak to swim to shore. They wondered how to help. Rafters were camped on the opposite bank a few miles upstream. No one knew how to reach them to see if they could help.
Who helps wild animals in trouble?
Calls went out to NOVA Alaska Guides. They operate a river rafting business in Glacier View. Calls went out to the Mat-Su Borough rescue divers, the Mat-Su Borough Animal Control, the Chickaloon Village Tribal police, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and colleagues that might have a raft.
No one could help. Either it wasn’t their jurisdiction or they couldn’t spare the people, or no one answered the phone on the holiday. State and Federal offices were closed for Juneteenth.
The Borough Animal Control was sympathetic. If it was the calf of a domestic cow they could get it. But not a wild moose calf. A State Wildlife Trooper was loading up a truck in Palmer. He was asked about helping. He was heading out the Glenn past mile 71. He said, “We just let nature take its course.”
The Matanuska River is eating towards the highway at mile 71. The bank is steep with big rocks. The calf would have had to swim at least a half mile downstream before there was a place to get up on shore. It wasn’t looking good for the little guy.
The water level had come down by about 2 p.m. on Friday. A resident said, “The calf walked upriver in the middle of the river, then tried to get to the woods on the highway side. Got caught in the currents and swam right past me. It ended up on an island downstream.”
Rumor has it that the calf may have been rescued by people with a red raft. A raft on a trailer was parked at the pullout Friday afternoon. A few hours later, the raft and trailer were seen heading towards Palmer and the calf was gone from the gravel bar.
If the rafters did rescue the calf, they must have quite a story to tell. If they, or anyone who witnessed the rescue, would like to tell it, they can reach out to us at manager@radiofreepalmer.org.
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Tune in at 89.7 in Palmer, 89.5 in Sutton, 88.3 in Chickaloon and Glacier View or online at bigcabbageradio.org.
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This Page Two article was reported by Kendra Zamzow- and produced by yours truly, Lee Henrikson. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Monday, June 22, 2026.
(Photos: 1. View of the gravel bar across the river. The calf is the small dot below and to the left of the notch in mountains and to the right of a washed-up log. 2. Closer view of calf. 3. Calf caught in current. 4. Calf heading for a gravel bar. Photos by K. Zamzow and F. Barker)
