During the last few decades some unusual white Moose have been spotted in the borderlands between Sweden and Norway.
Now safari company WildSweden has set up an exclusive tour package in search of the rare white Moose.
Are they real? They must be albinos right? Will hunters shoot them?
Yes. No. And hopefully not!
The Värmland region is famous for its spectacular varied nature, covered by large boreal forests and scattered by thousands of lakes. Home to Moose, Wolves, Beavers and other wildlife, now a more unusual animal has appeared, white Moose.
Few people have ever seen one.
What is white Moose?
White Moose are not albinos. They are rare genetic variants of the Moose (Eurasian Elk), with white fur. They carry a genetic mutation that gives them white coats. It's the same genetic mutation that gives humans red hair. A brown cow can have a white calf and vise versa.
Only about one hundred of the white Moose are known to exist. These white Moose are found almost exclusively in the boreal forests of Värmland, in the borderlands between Sweden and Norway. With large home grounds in deep forests they are not easy to find. But our guide knows where to go and how to find them.
Should white Moose be hunted?
Although there are only 100-150 white Moose in Sweden some of them are still shot during the hunting season each year. This has lead to a hot discussion. While some local hunters want to hunt the white Moose just like any other Moose, a majority of people would like to save them. Tourism is often mentioned in these discussions since white Moose could potentially attract people who wants to watch these majestic creatures in their natural habitat, alive. If people travel to Värmland to see white Moose, they will bring income to the local society and soon be worth more alive than dead. But, until now not much has been done. No guided tours has been offered at a regular basis. The problem is that they are very rare and therefore difficult to find. Now, Marcus Eldh, owner and wildlife guide at WildSweden has decided to go for it!
Travelers joining this tour will contribute to save these rare animals by bringing in money to the local society.