Rare 'spirit moose' spotted in northern Ontario

A woman from Chapleau, in northern Ontario, recently had an exciting encounter with a rare moose as she was driving down the highway.

Carole Vallieres told CTV News it is the second time she has seen what is known as a 'spirit moose,' a small population of animals with unique colouring due to their partial or all-white fur.

Often mistaken for being albino, the animals appear white as a result of a similar condition called leucism, a partial loss of pigmentation in the skin and hair. However, they don't have red eyes.

Because they are rare, moose that are at least 50 per cent white are protected from hunting by the province.

Hayden Kenez, a spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, told CTV News in an email the moose Vallieres captured on video appears to be piebald.

Kenez said it appears there may also be some hair loss as a result of ticks.

"It’s common to see moose in similar conditions at this time of year. Moose in [that] area are known to possess a recessive gene strain that causes them to turn white," he added.

"This trait can present as pure white or a mixture of white and brown, creating the piebald appearance."

Vallieres said a couple of years ago she saw a mostly-white female moose with one brown spot on its side and this time stopped to record a video of the majestic creature.

Two spirit moose spotted off a northern Ontario highway between Timmins and Chapleau by Jackie Burns Loyer October 17, 2019.