Oliver the Tim Hortons moose dies during leg surgery

ASudburymoose that captured the hearts of a national audience earlier this summer has died.

Oliver the moosewas found wandering on the side of Highway 144at the end of May by Stephan MichelDesgroseillers.SudburyPolice confirmed the calf was orphaned after his mother was hit by a vehicle in Copper Cliff.

Desgroseillerseventually brought the calf to Wild at Heart, an animal refuge centre in Lively but not before stopping at a TimHortonslocation,a move that cemented Olivers fame, and fulfilled a uniquely Canadian stereotype.

At Wild at Heart, Oliver came under the care of animal supervisor Alicia Irwin.

He was doing very well, Irwin said of Olivers three months in their care. He started losing his baby coat a month ago and his adult fur started coming in. He was gorgeous. He was pushing 300 pounds and he looked all grown up.

Oliver was described as stubborn, playful, and pushy.

On Saturday of last weekend, Irwin said they noticed Oliver wasnt bearing weight on one of his back legs. At that time, the centre called a vet who did an X-ray that revealed one of the calfs leg bones had a spiral fracture.

Oliver was then driven toEspanolaforsurgery on that leg.

Wildlife doesnt do well withanaestheticsgenerally, said Irwin, who was sitting in the waiting room during the operation. The surgery was only supposed to last an hour, but it lasted two.

It was at the two-hour mark that Oliver went into cardiac arrest, and died of a heart attack.

They were just getting the plate in at that time, so it was very unfortunate, Irwin said. There were four vets and a whole team of vet technicians there. They were the best possible people to be handling that they were trying to go as fast as they could, but it didnt work.

Despite Olivers death, Irwin said she doesnt regret taking Oliver in after he was orphaned, saying he would havedied in the wild without his mother.

Next steps for Wild at Heart

Irwin said Olivers long-term stay at Wild at Heart re-affirms the need for the centre to have a permanent moose enclosure.

Every year we get a moose calf now, she said. We really need to get it built, especially to over-winter the moose calves. Its very important to have a space, especially a predator-proof enclosure.

Irwin said the refuge centre is hoping to raise fundsfor the enclosure over the coming seasons.

As for future moose calf orphans, Irwin said she was heartbroken by Olivers death, but it wont deter her from helping calves that are brought into the centre.

You get so attached, so to lose Oliver at the end of the summer was really hard, she said. But I know next spring Ill be right there ready to work with them again, because theyre really wonderful, and I think weve figured out enough of their diet to do well.

We still have a ways to go, but were figuring it out along the way."