Rare White Moose Spotted Strolling Down Canadian Highway
Talk about something that you don't see every day! ABC News shared a video on Tuesday, April 30th of a very rare animal spotted in Alberta, Canada. A driver noticed an all-white moose crossing the highway and stopped to take a video of it, and it's very cool looking!
The white moose took its time strolling across the road as a darker moose followed closely behind. The driver continued to film as the two appear to be looking for something to eat. Of course people in Alberta are used to seeing moose, but I'm guessing they don't get to see an all-white one very often!
ABC News said in their caption that the driver said that in the Cree culture, seeing a white moose means good luck. I guess we all get a bit of that luck after watching the video! Commenters shared lots of comments about how beautiful the animal is. I couldn't help but laugh at @the_yeffy's comment, "They move so quick until on pavement and then they walk like runway models who don’t see the bright headlights coming at them." Sounds like he has some experience with them!
Related: Moose’s Joy Over a Yard Sprinkler Proves It’s the Little Things
How Rare are White Moose?
Colorless animals are extremely rare, and white moose are no exception. A to Z Animals says that the odds of one being born are 100,000:1! Nobody knows how many of these moose are out there because they are so rare.
What caused this moose to be all white? Well some animals are much lighter (light tan for example) than the color they should be. This is not albinism. A to Z explains, "The condition is called leucism which is a genetic mutation. It causes a partial lack of pigment in the skin and hair but the eyes are still dark. In albinism, there is no melanin pigment at all and the eyes are pink. It is also possibly caused by a nutritional deficiency when the moose is in the womb." We're not close enough to see the moose's eyes, but either way, it's an oddity.
Both leucism and albinism happen in all animal species. Check out this white grizzly bear spotted in Canada or this all-white panda, the only one in the world. This rare albino deer was spotted in Tennessee, and this albino alligator's reaction to getting scrubbed down is the best. Back in March, an albino elephant calf was spotted in South Africa and it's adorable!
While these animals are all unique and cool to see, being all white (or close to it) isn't necessarily good news for any of them. An animal's color is what helps camouflage them so that they can blend in with their surroundings. Being an all-white moose in a dark green forest really makes it stand out, making it easy prey for a hunting predator. I hope this one has good luck in avoiding becoming a meal.
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