Photographers were surprised to see elk with a special coat due to a genetic mutation that causes a lack of pigmentation.
Roger Brendhagen photographed an elk with unique white fur in the woods of Varmland, Sweden, Unilad reported on December 23. Researchers estimate that about 30 moose carrying this mutation live in Varmland.
“I saw thousands of elk, but when I encountered this white animal in the Swedish forest, I could hardly feel anything else. Luckily I still had my camera,” Brendhagen explained.
The first white elk appeared in West Varmland in the 1930s. They are not albino but have a defect in the genetic code that causes a lack of pigmentation. This condition is called leucism. They may have lighter, partially or completely white fur. However, the eyes and nails remain a normal color in most cases, unlike with albinism. Similar white moose have also been found in Alaska and Canada.
Elk (Alces alces) is a herbivorous species found primarily in North America and Eurasia. In nature, their average lifespan is 15 to 20 years. Adult elk are 1.5 to 2 m tall at the withers and weigh over 800 kg. They are the largest species of deer.
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