Maturing Moose Calves

Moose calves grow an alarmingly fast rate.

Born in the Spring, moose calves weigh some 30 pounds when they are born.  By the time they are give days old, they are able to outrun a person. These young moose stay with their mothers until the following mating season.

Water Makes A Moose Happy

A Moose is more comfortable in the water than on land.

Picture from Britannica

A Moose is an efficient swimmer that can paddle more than ten miles at a time and will even submerge themselves completely for up to thirty seconds. By hiding in the water, they also can protect themselves from mosquitoes or other biting insects.

As Big As a Moose

The moose is the largest member of the deer family and one of the largest land animals in North America. Also native to northern Europe and Asia, the moose is referred to as an elk outside of North America, though it is a distinctly different animal than an American elk.

Standing up to seven feet tall at the shoulders and weighing 600-1600+lbs, moose are second in size only to bison among North American land animals. As with other types of deer, moose eat a large variety of terrestrial and aquatic plant life. The average adult moose needs over 9000 calories of food each day, requiring daily consumption of over 70lbs of plant life to survive.

Unlike other types of deer that live in herds, moose are extremely solitary animals that do not interact outside of mating season. During this time, bull moose may engage in battles with one another for mating rights, using their five foot-wide antlers as offensive weapons. After mating season has concluded, the males will shed their antlers to conserve energy throughout the winter, growing a new set within 4-5 months.

Full-grown moose are too large to have many natural enemies. In Asia, Siberian tigers have been known to hunt them, as well as brown bears. Packs of wolves or coyotes may hunt calves or winter-weakened individuals with some success as well.

Though the moose population has been reduced significantly over the last 200 years, particularly in North America, moose numbers are on the rise due to successful conservation efforts. The current worldwide moose population stands at several million, and they are considered to be an animal of least concern.

Big 12 Tournament

There was an upset in the Big 12 Basketball Tournament yesterday. The Baylor Bears (ranked #4) were beaten by the Colorado Buffalos (ranked #12). But could a buffalo really beat a bear?

The animal we call a "buffalo" is actually an American Bison and is distinctively different from the true buffalos of Africa and Asia. American Bison once roamed the Great Plains in vast herds that could stretch for miles. Bison society has a very rigid "pecking" order which is enforced with horn and hoof. They may look cumbersome, but easily reach speeds of 35 mph. Bison have excellent eyesight and hearing as well as an ability to remember experiences, whether good or bad. They have massive strength and size and are not easily frightened. In fact, bison are rather inquisitive. With all these positive attributes, it is no wonder they flourished in such huge numbers. Besides humans, the bison's only true predators are Wolf packs and Grizzly bears which only attempt to prey on the young or very old and infirm.

Research into Baylor University's mascot shows the Bears has been represented by a Black Bear since the 1920s. Black bears are the smallest of the three bear species found in North America. Their range is extensive, but restricted to forested areas, not the plains. Their diet is omnivorous but they mainly eat vegetation. The stocky body that gives them strength makes them a poor predator. Black bears can overheat during prolonged chases and do not have the agility of potential prey. When a black bear does get meat, it is generally salmon, carrion or a young deer or moose calf.

Now that we've weighed the facts, The Jungle Store concludes no one should have been surprised the Buffalos beat the Bears.

Next biggest

Elk or wapiti are the 2nd largest “deer” after moose. They are native to North America and eastern Asia. There are four subspecies in North America and four from Asia. Unlike moose, elk are herd animals. The Roosevelt elk is the largest of the subspecies and is found west of the Cascade mountain range in California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.

During mating season bull elks antler wrestle and bugle. Listen here—it autoplays when you go to the website. The bull in the picture is bugling. Elk cows “bark” to warn of danger.

Largest North American land animal

I got to see moose when I visited friends in Alaska one summer. What I got relatively close to were calves and they’re plenty big. In Europe moose are called elk.

Moose males have flattened antlers, called palmate antlers. European, Siberian, and Scandinavian elk have less flattened antlers.

Adult moose are 5 to 6 feet tall at the shoulder! They weigh from 600 to 1180 pounds with the males on the heavier end of the range. Moose front legs are longer than their hind legs. They have good sense of hearing and smell, but are nearsighted.

Tame Moose?

As of 2003, there were 33 tame Moose at the Kostroma Moose Farm.