I expect they were down for a while prior to release and the weight of their bodies shut off the circulation to the legs trapped beneath their bodies.
Once freed they have no feeling in those legs until the blood supply rejuvenates them, hence the staggering gait. This effect also happens with cattle that have been down for a while.
And were it not for the saw-wielding rescuer, they might have ended up as Benny and George did...
https://animals.howstuffworks.com/ex...-years-ago.htm
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