spirit moose
Credit: Dar Tanner/Instagram

Rare ‘Spirit Moose’ Spotted by Canadian Storm Chaser

Albinism only happens in about one out of every 20,000 moose.

Canadian storm chaser and aurora borealis fan Dar Tanner had one of the most special and magical encounters of her life when she saw a rare spirit moose.

In an Instagram post, Tanner explained that she saw the spirit moose — also known as a ghost moose or albino moose — last week while driving through central Alberta, Canada, with her sister Tree.

"A night I will never ever forget. At one point I looked over at Tree with tears in my eyes, and told her how lucky we were to be able to experience this together," Tanner wrote.

 

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Tanner added that she's part Cree, an indigenous group, that believes "if you ever have the chance to see one, that it's a sign of good fortune, good luck, or a good omen."

During an interview with CBC News, Tanner explained that the animal caught them totally off guard and that they were able to watch it for 30 to 60 minutes.

In the videos, the spirit moose can be seen walking through the woods with another moose, crossing the street, and continuing on its journey.   

spirit moose

Seeing a "spirit moose" is supposed to be good luck. Credit: Dar Tanner/Instagram

Experts say albino moose are incredibly rare — to all wild animals and not just moose — and that the odds of it happening are about one in 20,000. However, there is a chance that albinism will occur if both parents carry the albino gene.