The moose (Alces alces) called ”elk” in Europe, is the biggest and heaviest living representative of the deer family. Males bear very distinctive antlers. For years I have been dreaming to meet this almost legendary and elusive animal with its huge palmate antlers, long nose and endlessly long legs. In North America moose can be found in Alaska and Canada, in some part of New England, in Washington State and Minnesota as well as the northern par of the Rocky Mountains. The European elk occupies mainly Scandinavia and Russia, some tiny popluations still exist in the Baltics, Poland an the Czech Republic.
Moose or elk typically occupy boreal forests and mixed deciduous forests in temperate to subarctic climates and they particularly appreciate marshes and wetlands with ponds and lakes. Moose are herbivore and they primarily feed on fresh vegetation such as young willow and birch shoots and herbacous plants, but also aquatic plants which provide them with their required sodium that terestrial vegetation is lacking. The upper lip of a moose is highly sensitive and prehensile, allowing them not only to distinguish between young shoots and older, harder twigs, but also to grab them. Moose are excellent swimmers and they are the only members of the deer family that are able to eat with their head under water. Their nose has muscles that can close the nostrils when immersed. They are also able to stand on their hind legs to reach tempting fresh vegetation high up.
Despite the fact that moose and elk have sadly disappeared from a large proportion of their historical range, they continue to be hunted in a number of countries, either for meat or as trophies.
