The biggest moose in the world
22.07.2019
Who hasn't always wondered how big a full-grown moose actually gets? One or the other Sweden fan may have already had an encounter with a four-legged creature of this category living there - and knows that moose can reach a shoulder height of up to 2.40 metres and sometimes weigh over 900 kg.
The "Storelgen" (big moose) in Østerdalen in eastern Norway is in a completely different league. It reaches a gigantic height of 10.3 metres and a length of 11.5 metres! In the far north of Norway, some things are known to be bigger or longer than here: longer roads, tunnels and bridges - higher cliffs or longer fjords - and last but not least, much longer days in the polar summer.
Now the "Storelgen" is not just a normal moose, but a work of art with a mirror-smooth surface, which gives the giant an almost surreal appearance. It is made of highly polished 316 stainless steel. This makes it look like a gigantic mirror in the landscape. It stands at the Bjøråa rest area on road 3, which is one of the main connections between Oslo and central Norway and a popular alternative to the classic north-south route.
The moose is part of a road safety project of the Norwegian Road Administration Statens Vegvesen and is intended to raise awareness of the densely wooded and sparsely populated landscape. It is thus intended to reduce the risk of accidents.
The giant moose was made in the Dry Art Limited factory in China. The design is by the artist Linda Bakke. The artwork was sponsored by the Norwegian bank "Sparebanken Hedmark's" and donated to the municipality of Stor-Elvdal. The official inauguration of the moose statue took place on 15 October 2015.
Those who do not have the opportunity to spend their holidays in Norway can marvel at the sculpture on numerous websites (see links below).
With this statue, the Norwegians have not only created a much-noticed attraction, but have also taken the world record for the "World's Largest Moose" from the Canadians. There is another giant moose, "Mac the Moose", which was able to claim this record for 31 years. The Canadians had already created a steel and concrete moose sculpture in 1984, which is 9.80 metres high and weighs 10,000 kilograms.
Alarmed by the new competition from Norway, there were already proposals to upgrade "Mac the Moose", e.g. by adding a helmet, and thus bring the title of "World's Largest Moose" back to North America. After all, the moose from Norway was also made in China and thus not a Norwegian "native", the Canadians point out. Whatever the final outcome of this curious dispute, both giants' elks are certainly worth the trip!