COOKS BROOK, N.S. -- When Shannon Hudson found a bull calf shivering and alone on a rural Nova Scotia roadside last week, she knew something wasn't right.
It happened in a part of Nova Scotia where cow crossing signs are common, but this was no ordinary sighting.
"I had seen a construction worker kind of come running over to the truck to flag me down, he was panicked, he said, 'You're in a truck, what do we do with this?' And I looked over and the cow was shivering, and I said, 'Get him into the truck,'" Hudson said.
Only days old, the male Holstein calf was alone, shivering and hungry, so Hudson sprang to action.
"When I put him in the back seat I didn't want to warm him up too fast in case he was hypothermic, so I rolled down all the windows, and I put the heat on low in the front, and he was actually trying to climb up through the middle dash there to get up towards the heat," Hudson said.
Hudson texted Melvin Burns, the operator of nearby Moo Nay Farms.
"(She) sent me a picture of it in the back of the truck, and asked if it was OK if she brought it to the farm 'till she could figure out what she was going on with it," said Burns.
First, she had to find milk to feed the calf. Once that was taken care of, Hudson began the hunt for its owners, asking farmers in the area if the calf belonged to them, but had no luck.
There was, however, registration information on the calf's ear tag. That led her to a farmer in Colchester County.
"He said that he had sold the calf, and he's not sure how it could have gotten there, and he didn't really have any use for it, but he was willing to come and pick it up, or I could keep and try to find it a home," Hudson said.
She named the calf "Booba" after a popular animated cartoon character, and the pair have developed a bond.
"Booba does love me," Hudson said. "He thinks I'm his mom."
Hudson has decided to find Booba a new home.
Just how Booba ended up on Moose River Road remains a mystery. Whether he fell off a truck, was left there, or just wandered off, it's not sure we'll ever really know.
What is certain is Booba is one lucky calf.
If not for his rescuer, he would have been destined for market.
But soon, Booba will be exploring greener pastures, as he is headed for a new home Thursday.
"He's gonna hang out with a couple cows, they have some horses there, and they know that they'd be able to supply him with the best long-term home possible," Hudson said.
Hudson will visit Booba and share updates with the public on his new life.
A second chance for a wayward calf -- found by the right person, at the right time.