Moose snacking on water lilies in Millinocket, Maine
© Scott Suriano/Getty Image
Of moose and Maine
As spring unfolds on the opposite side of the equator in the US state of Maine, the backwoods teem with life small and large. We'd say this lily-munching moose belongs in the second category. Moose are the bulkiest members of the deer family, trouncing their relatives in size: Bulls can weigh in well over 680 kilos. And while this hulking hoofer's velvety antlers are still sprouting, they may soon span more than 1.8 metres.
With nearly 90% of its land covered in forest, Maine is the 'main' centre in the lower 48 states for moose-watching: It’s home to around 75,000 moose, a number beaten only by Alaska. Peak season for spotting the crepuscular creatures (that means they like to come out to feed at dawn and dusk) begins now, in mid-May, and typically runs into July.
Related Images
Male African lion and cub in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in southern Africa
Burchell's zebra mother and foal in Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa
Leopard snoozing in a tree in Namibia
Male leopard in Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, Botswana
Zebras in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Gerenuk in Tsavo National Park, Kenya
South American tapir calf trots through the grass
For Siblings Day, lion cubs wrestle in Samburu National Park, Kenya
Bing Today Images
