A spirit moose has been spotted in Northern Ontario. It is between 1 and 2 years old. First off: Where did the name moose come from? The moose got its name from a Native American word “moosu”, which comes from the Narragansett language meaning “he who trims or cuts smoothly.”
The colouring is due to a condition called leucsim and is different than albinism. Their colour is the result of a recessive gene strain called the Armstrong White Gene Strain, named after Jane Armstrong who discovered the first white moose in Foleyet over 40 years ago. These live near Foleyet, Ontario.
There are both albino and spirit moose - albino can be distinguished by pink eyes. The National Post had an article on white moose ini 2016, with an update in 2019. They report that in 1939, an albino moose was glimpsed by King George VI and his wife, who were passing through Banff on a pre-Second World War Canadian tour. “Their Majesties also saw a beaver, a Rocky Mountain goat and scores of elk,” read a press account from the time.
Another variation is the black and white spotted moose: "Four years ago, Albertan Mauice Chenard spotted a “pinto” moose outside Falher, Alta. The animal had black and white spots similar to a Holstein cow."
The article reports on white moose in Norway with the Foleyet-style gene, rather than albinism. As you might guess, part of the discoveries are due to hunters killing the moose which is considered sacred in First Nations people.
Could we call a locomotive the Spirit Train if it were white? Wouldn't that be amazing with its steam all around it?
This is a Cuba steam locomotive given the "Spirit" treatment.
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