A rare Piebald Moose was recently photographed by Thomas Morch in eastern Norway. I had no idea they existed.

Norwegian photographer, Thomas Mørch, has spotted one of his most interesting subjects to date—a moose with a piebald coat. 

Thomas caught the magical sighting near his home in Hallingdal, a valley in eastern Norway.

In the photo, the elusive piebald moose appears healthy and prepared for the winter. He has a nice round belly, warm fur, and unique markings all over. He appears to be hunting for food in the deep winter snow. 

These patches are due to “piebaldism”, a genetic mutation affecting pigmentation, which is a fairly common occurrence in domesticated animals, such as horses, dogs, and cattle. It refers to the melanin-forming cells in areas of the skin and hair. It can also occur in humans.

Thomas spotted the moose in the wilderness of Buskerud County after a sighting tip from a friend. “I have a friend who runs horses up there and the moose had been in his summer pasture for several days. I traveled there immediately, because suddenly he could be gone,” Mørch told NRK, a Norwegian news media station.