I'm dreaming of a white Christ-MOOSE: Woodland beast with no pigment in its fur due to a rare genetic condition is spotted in Sweden
A white moose with a rare genetic condition that gives its fur no pigment has been spotted in Sweden.
Roger Brendhagen, 52, caught a glimpse of the moose during a walk through the countryside near Värmland.
The wildlife photographer said he was delighted to come across the animal as around 30 white moose live in the area.
'I have met thousands of moose in my life but when I met this guy in the Swedish forests, I almost lost my senses but thank God I did not lose the camera,' the native of nearby Oslo, Norway, said.
The moose's whiteness does not come from albinism but is the result of a recessive gene which can cause the animal to grow white fur with specs of brown, or - in rare cases - an entirely white coat.
The condition is known as piebaldism and has also been seen in moose in Alaska and Canada, according to National Geographic.
Unlike albinism, piebaldism, which comes under the umbrella term leucism, sees an animal losing its pigment in fur, feathers or scales but not in its eyes.
'The animal can become lighter, partly white or completely white in colour, however, eyes, beak and claws often have normal pigmentation, in contrast to albinism,' Brendhagen explained.
A white moose with a rare genetic condition that gives its fur no pigment has been spotted by a wildlife photographer in Sweden
Roger Brendhagen, 52, caught a glimpse of the moose during a walk through the countryside near Värmland, where about 30 of the animals are thought to live, according to Brendhagen
The condition is known as piebald and has been known to also affect moose in Alaska and Canada, according to National Geographic
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