Utah Valley's version of E.T. - an "equine terrestrial" - has finally come home.
E.T., a horse left starving and stranded on a mountain southeast of Thistle, was airlifted off the mountain Thursday afternoon by a U.S. Army helicopter crew. Utah County Sheriff's Department officers had been transporting food, via snowmobile, to the gelding, which was discovered by a cougar hunter last week.The rescue effort was a coordinated project between the U.S. Army Dugway base, the Division of Wildlife Resources and the sheriff's department.
Rescuers first led E.T. to an open area, then sedated the gelding before putting him in a sling and lifting him off the mountain to a portion of U.S. 89 near Birdseye. They then transported the horse to the Utah County Animal Shelter, where he will be nursed back to health. The unbranded gelding is approximately 10 years old and is brown, with a single white patch on his head and several on his feet.
Officers nicknamed the horse E.T., after the Steven Spielberg film, because he was stranded and alone, like the film's title character.
Earlier this week, sheriff's department officers traveled by snowmobile to the horse, and found him nearly belly deep in snow and suffering from wounds on his hindquarters and around his mouth.
Sgt. Rex Murdock, an animal regulations officer, one of the officials in charge of the rescue attempt, said E.T. may have been wounded by a cougar and suffered the other wounds after trying to find food on the mountainside.
E.T. had apparently been living off tree bark and bushes, some of which may have given him the facial abrasions. Because of the snow depth, the gelding was unable to travel far, according to Murdock.
After consulting with local veterinarian Jon O. Hunter, Bennett and Lt. Dick Casto returned to the mountain with food, including hay and pellet feed.
As yet, sheriff's officials don't know how long the animal had been stranded or how he got there.
"The horse was really in poor condition, fleshwise," Murdock said. "After we fed him, he recovered some of his alertness, but after we had to move him he kind of went downhill."
Utah County Animal Shelter officials say the horse may take a few months to recover fully.
"It's kind of hard to say, but I'd guess he needs to put on another 200 to 300 pounds and he'll be fine," said C.J. Witney, a deputy with the sheriff's department.
Shelter officials will attempt to find the owners while the gelding recovers. Then, if no one steps forward, E.T. will be put up for public auction.
Officials originally contacted Rocky Mountain Helicopters to ask for an estimate for the airlift. Rocky Mountain officials told them it would cost approximately $800, leading officers to ask for donors.
Lt. Ron Fernstedt said the sheriff's department was flooded with calls from concerned animal lovers, prompting the quick rescue attempt.
"Just about everybody offered to send money or offered to help," Fernstedt said. "It's one of those nice things that happens every once in awhile. It kind of makes you believe in the system."