Introducing Chocolate, the Baby Moose
June 09, 2011
On May 23, 2011, Whipsnade Zoo welcomed this caramel-coloured moose calf that they named Chocolate – who looks pretty darn sweet! A bubbly and hungry baby, before too long this leggy moose will grow up to be tall, dark and hopefully handsome. For now the calf is enjoying milk from mother Minnie and a nibbling leaves from a nearby willow tree.
The calf is the first moose born at the zoo in many years. Keeper Carole Day said two-year-old mother Minnie is being a super-protective mum and the calf is thriving. First the baby had to learn to stand, and has since gotten the hang of it.
Photo Credit: Copyright ZSL
One of the largest members of the deer family, male moose are famous for their antlers. Melka, the calfs' dad, has already started growing his new set. Even at the tender age of two Melka has to be strong – the last pair of antlers weighed an astounding 12 pounds (5.5kg) when they eventually fell off in February! Moose can grow to 1,800 pounds (816.5 kg)and be more than six feet tall at the shoulder. As herbivores, they are generally non-aggressive toward humans unless provoked or separated from their calf.