A majestic white moose has been spotted roaming the forests of Sweden along the Norway border. Wildlife photographer and Nikon Ambassador Roger Brendhagen happened to catch this rare creature on camera in its beautiful natural surroundings. The experienced Swedish photographer is no stranger to encountering unique wild creatures; he has spent his career documenting the beautiful, unusual, and endangered species of habitats around the world. His incredible images of the white moose in the region of Värmland offer insight into a majestic forest world.

The talented Swedish photographer is certainly familiar with encountering such rare wild creatures. He has been documenting beautiful endangered species throughout his career in habitats all around the world. His incredible images of the white moose in the region of Värmland offer insight into a majestic forest world. This majestic creature can easily be mistaken for an albino moose. But it is in fact not, it has a genetic condition called piebaldism.

Roger Brendhagen said that: I photographed this moose in Värmland in Sweden—in the border area with Norway. According to researchers, there are about 30 moose with this mutation in Värmland. The legendary white moose first appeared in western Värmland sometime in the 1930s. They are not albino, but they have a defect in the genetic code which means the coat does not store pigment. The phenomenon is called leucism. They have brown eyes—and the horns are also brown like a normal moose.

Leucism is a congenital physical condition in animals reminiscent of albinism and melanism. Leucism leads to reduced pigmentation and is defined as a partial or complete deficiency of eumelanin or pheomelanin in the skin, often called a genetic blockage or obstruction in fur or plumage. This means that the animal can become lighter, partly white, or completely white in color. However, eyes, beak, and claws often have normal pigmentation in contrast to albinism. This isn't the first sighting of this type of rare moose. In recent years they have been spotted in both Swedish and Canadian forests. An increase in their population has even been speculated by researchers in Scandanavia due to few predators. Hunters choose not to target these special animals—in Canada, one legally cannot hunt them.