Working at a hospital has some uncompensated perks. During a recent shift at an Anchorage, Alaska, hospital, TikTok user Jeanna witnessed something most people will never see: a pregnant momma moose ambling up and making herself comfortable on the grass. It wasn’t long before a small baby moose calf struggled to stand beside its exhausted mom.
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The baby moose is wobbly but trying to stand and move independently. The momma moose offers encouraging sniffs. Although tired, Momma Moose is ready to assume her duties in raising this little wonder of nature.
Moose have a seven- to eight-month gestation period (230 days), with births occurring from mid-May through early June. A baby moose weighs between 28 and 35 pounds, but can weigh as much as 45 pounds on rare occasions. Being precocial, a moose calf can stand unsteadily within minutes of birth and will nurse within the first few hours. They begin eating solid food several days after birth.
Over the first five months, these animals will grow to more than 10 times their birth size. Moose calves will nurse and forage during those months. They will be fully weaned when the next breeding season begins. Calves stay with their momma moose for the first 12 months. As a moose prepares to give birth again, she will chase off her yearlings, which explains why this yearling is close.
Moose are abundant in Alaska. Although not currently on the endangered list, hunters and human encroachment may be causing their numbers to dwindle. Watching a newborn moose is not something you see every day.
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