Here’s something you don’t see every day.
For us who spend most of our time in the city, wildlife and its array of wonders largely remain a mystery.
But thankfully, with the technology we developed, we can get a glimpse of these moments.
A door camera captured an amazing moment when a moose passed by a home in Alaska.
The moose’s annual ritual, mostly reserved for places in the wild, happened right in front of someone’s doorstep.
A bull moose came into view.
Winter was in full swing and the neighborhood was covered with a thick fluff of snow.
The moose stopped for a while as if it felt something.
Then, starting from his hind legs, the moose shook his body enthusiastically until his two antlers popped cleanly off his crown.
His massive antlers came crashing down.
The sudden loss of weight startled the moose.
Then, as quickly as it came, the moose set off to continue the journey.
As the night crept in, a truck stopped by the spot where the moose once was.
The driver stepped out of their vehicle and investigated what the animal left. He then took the discarded antlers and showed them to the camera.
Antler shedding happens yearly.
Antler shedding or casting is a process that male moose undergo regularly.
Other animals that shed their antlers include members of the Cervidae family like deer and elk. For caribous and reindeer, females also undergo the process.
So why do they shed the part of themselves that they’re well-known for?
They become a seasonal liability.
After the fall breeding season, male cervids discard their antlers.
They don’t have use for these ferocious headsets and with the winter season following, getting rid of antlers can help them ease through harsh terrain.
Some cervids can get their antlers tangled up in fencing, garbage, overgrowth, and even Christmas decorations.
These trapped animals fall into the whims of the elements which can lead to injuries, starvation, and attacks from other animals.
Unlike goats, moose can shed.
Despite the seeming similarities, antlers and horns are different.
Horns are made from the same material as our nails and they jut out from the skull. The horn then grows as more material gets added to the bass.
Antlers, however, are living parts.
It starts off as a knob of fuzzy skin.
Blood vessels carry essential nutrients to the knob such as phosphorus and calcium to make the antlers.
As winter progresses, bull cervids produce less testosterone. It starts a demineralization process that loosens the connection of the antler to the base.
Don’t worry, it’s not permanent.
Cervids like moose will just grow it back before the mating season.
“Wow that’s one heck of a gift from that moose!” said one comment, pointing out the homeowner’s boon.
“Shaking off that 30 pounds of weight from its head must’ve felt so good. I’m jealous.” Joked another.
“Just look at the size! And the luck of the odds. Now that’s a trophy!” pointed another.
Watch this moose shed its massive antlers with a shake of his head in the video below!
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