The moose, also known as the Alces alces or elk in Europe, is a large mammal that inhabits boreal and mixed forests across North America, Asia, and northern Europe.
Moose are part of the deer family and are one of the largest members with males (bulls) weighing up to 1,500 pounds and females (cows) weighing up to 800 pounds.
Their distinctive physical features include long legs for wading through streams and deep snow, broad antlers used for fighting off predators during mating season and their distinctively shaped nose.
Despite being widely distributed throughout many regions in the world, moose populations have declined in some areas due to habitat loss from human encroachment on natural habitats.
They play an important ecological role by helping to maintain forest ecosystems through browsing on trees and shrubs which can affect plant growth and forest diversity.