Nature never ceases to amaze me.
Late last year, a wildlife photographer named Thomas Mørch captured an incredible photo of a rare Piebald moose traversing the wintry landscape. The sighting that seems like it could only happen in the movies happened in real life in eastern Norway.
The photos that Mørch took show a younger moose with the genetic mutation known as “piebaldism,” which primarily affects pigmentation. Piebaldism affects the melanin-forming cells in the hair and skin, and can occur in both wild and domesticated animals, as well as humans.
Mørch says that he was alerted by someone in the area that the rare moose had been spotted, and as soon as he found out, he dropped everything to go capture the moment, according to NRK:
“I have a friend who runs horses up there and the moose had been in his summer pasture for several days. I traveled there immediately, because suddenly he could be gone.”
The photographer’s quick action was rewarded when he spotted the unique animal searching for food in the snow. I can only imagine that seeing the piebald moose in real life was even more stunning than the photos, and that’s saying something.
Photography is great, but sometimes nothing can capture the beauty of nature better than seeing it with your own eyes. Mørch was certainly grateful that he got to witness the animal in person and was happy to share the image he snapped with his followers online:
“Piebald moose from my backyard here in Hallingdal. This is a genetic mutation. It is quite common in some domesticated animals, and can actually also appear in humans. It is more rare among wild animals.”
