Saturday, September 25, 2010

Finnish Moose

June 2010 RR from Bessie

Aug/Sept 2010 Big Midmonth RR from Bubo

FI-889422


The word "moose" (which is both singular and plural) is a borrowing from an Algonquin (Native American) language, and refers to Alces alces, a member of the deer family inhabiting boreal and mixed deciduous forests in the northern hemisphere. Moose originally inhabited most of northern Europe, including Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Scotland, but has been pushed back by civilization over the course of history, now mainly residing in Norway, Sweden, Poland, the Baltic states, Czech Republic, Belarus, and Russia. In summer 2009, Finland's moose population was estimated at 115,000.

Moose are vegetarians subsisting mainly on herbs, flowers, and tree shoots. Because these are low in sodium, moose also eat aquatic plants which have a high salt content. In winter, moose can often be found near roads, licking up the salt that is used to melt snow and ice. This can be very dangerous to traffic, especially at night, as they weigh around 1,000 pounds and stand 6-7 feet tall.

Natural predators of moose include wolves, Siberian tigers, black bears, cougars, and even orca whales when moose are swimming between islands on the U.S. northwest coast. Moose have been hunted by people since the stone age, and are still a common food source in many parts of their range.

It seems they don't cancel stamps in Finland... and Finland Post website is down for maintenance... I will update when it is available again with the stamp info.


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