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The first-ever moose sighting in the Mount Rainier National Park has been recorded by park service rangers. The animal, which appears to be a female, was seen walking through the snow along the rocky ridges of Sunrise Road, and a photo was shared to the parks service's Facebook page.
"This is the first recorded moose sighting from within Mount Rainier National Park and southwestern Washington," an accompanying caption read. "Yes, I know that's a lot of exclamation points, but we are really excited about this sighting!"
The enthusiasm has been shared by Facebook users."This is awesome!! What a beautiful creature," said one user in response to the post.
"This is amazing news!!!!!" said another.
Moose have been identified as a Priority Species by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Priority species are those requiring special conservation measures to protect their populations. As of 2015, the WDFW estimated that around 5,000 moose live in Washington, most of which are found in the Selkirk mountains, over 350 miles north of Mount Rainier.
Outside of Washington, moose can be found across the northern U.S., as far east as Maine, and into Canada and Alaska.
The moose in Washington belong to a subspecies called the Shiras moose. These are physically smaller than more northern moose subspecies, but adults still measure nearly six feet across the shoulder, and with males weighing up to 1,100 pounds.
A similar sighting was made at the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass area this summer, some 40 miles away from Mount Rainier, leading park officials to suspect that it might be the same animal.
Moose tend to prefer forested areas with lakes, marshes or other wetlands. Due to their large size and food demands, the home range of an average moose extends around three to six square miles.
These animals are herbivores, predominantly feasting on twigs, bark and leaves. They tend to live alone, except when the females have calves. Males may also form temporary aggregations after the autumn breeding season, but most of the time these animals are loners, as is seen by the specimen pictured here.
While they might look gentle and docile, moose can be dangerous. As one Facebook user said: "I'm more afraid of moose than bears...the bears are likely to run away, the moose is likely to run you down."
The WDFW advised, if you see a moose, you should avoid approaching it, no matter how quiet and gentle it looks. Moose are not fast runners, so will often choose fight over flight. In the rare event of a moose attack, the WDFW said that the best advice is often to run and hide behind something like a tree, fence or building. Usually the animal will not chase you very far.
Moose attacks are, however, very rare, and if they are undisturbed it is unlikely that they will come after you.
Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about moose? Let us know via nature@newsweek.com.
About the writer
Pandora Dewan is a Senior Science Reporter at Newsweek based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on science, health ... Read more