Posts Tagged Moose
The King of the Forest
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, Photos and videos on April 15, 2010
A few facts about the moose
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on April 15, 2010
The moose (alces alces) is the largest species in the deer family, and is known as ‘the King of the Forest’.
In 2007 there were 120,000 moose in Norway.
All moose are herbivores and eat many types of plant or fruit. The average adult moose needs to consume 9,800 calories per day to maintain its body weight.
An adult moose stands 1.8–2.1m (6–7ft) high at the shoulder. Males weigh 380–720kg, females 270–360kg.
The moose has long, thick brown fur. The hair is hollow, which helps keep the moose warm. The moose also has long legs. Its front legs are longer than its rear ones – this helps it jump over fallen trees and other obstacles in the forest.
Only males (called bulls) have antlers. These can reach up to 1.8m (6ft) across, although 1.2-1.5m (4-5ft) is more common.
The mature bull drops its antlers after the mating season each year to conserve energy for the winter. A new set of antlers regrows in the spring. Antlers take three to five months to fully develop. They initially have a layer of skin, called ‘velvet’, which is shed once the antlers become fully grown. The velvet has blood vessels in it that deliver nutrients that help the antlers grow.
The moose is active in the day, especially at dawn and dusk. It has very poor eyesight but good hearing and an excellent sense of smell. It is a very good swimmer and can swim as fast as 10km (6 miles) an hour. On land they can run up to 56km (35 miles) an hour over short distances, and trot steadily at 32km (20 miles) an hour.
Moose are not usually aggressive towards humans, but can be provoked or frightened to behave with aggression, especially when they have youngs around. And although moose actually attack more people than bears and wolves combined, it’s usually with only minor consequences.
Moose collisions with vehicles and trains, on the other hand, cause more damage to property and injuries to people, sometimes even death. The Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten estimated in January 2008 that some 13,000 moose had died in collisions with Norwegian trains since 2000. That’s a lot of dead moose every year – please remember that when driving on remote country roads at dusk (the time of day when you’re most likely to hit one).
Wildlife spotting in Østfold
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on November 16, 2009
I don’t know about you, but for me a wildlife encounter is always a special thing. I’ve actually become a bit obsessed with spotting moose since I moved to Norway (there you go… in case you ever wondered about this blog’s silly name). Luckily wildlife is quite plentiful in Østfold – here is a list of the most interesting, and the most common, species you can find here. Keep your eyes peeled!
- Moose: Common in the whole county, mainly in forested areas. One might cross your path on a quiet country road in Indre Østfold, or you might even spot one feeding on crops in summer. In the autumn you are more likely to see a moose eating rotting apples in a garden. They sometimes get drunk on the fermented apples and can then behave unpredictably – if that’s the case it’s best to keep your distances.
- Red and roe deer: Common throughout the county. Like moose, they are often seen feeding in fields in summer, usually in the late afternoon.
- Red fox: There are some beautiful specimens around, but they’re not that easily spotted.
- Badger: Common in the whole county, sadly all too often seen dead by the roadside – they seem to get run over more often than any other species.
- Wild boar: These are increasingly common in Aremark, near the Swedish border, where they have been observed in growing numbers in recent years.
- Wolf: Present in Halden and occasionally bordering localities. You are more likely to see wolf droppings or tracks in the snow than the animal itself though – except for the occasional male stray wolf, they live deep in the wilderness.
- Lynx: Present in Indre Østfold, although not that easily spotted.
- Seals: A few on offshore islands in the Oslo fjord.
- Sea birds: Eiders, shags, cormorants, wild swans and mallards are all common sea birds along the Østfold coast.
- Forest birds include wood pigeons, owls, eagles (in Indre Østfold), black grouses and capercaillies (Indre Østfold, Aremark and Halden localities).
Moose hunt starts today
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, News, Sport on October 5, 2009
Bad day for moose everywhere in Norway: the hunting season starts today. It lasts for a month, and is carefully monitored – about a third of the existing herd is killed every year. Here in Østfold this means some 6,000 hunters will kill an estimated 1,500 animals during the next four weeks. That sounds like a lot to me. I’m as fond of game as your average Norwegian, buy I’m also very fond of moose, and would rather they were left in peace. Fair game or unnecessary cruelty to animals? What do you think? Feel free to share your views.