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Moose celebrates first Father's Day

Jester, the four year old male moose, celebrated Father’s Day this year as a new first time father to his three week old female calf.

The Greater Vancouver Zoo welcomed a new member to their zoo family.

Jester, the four year old male moose, celebrated Father’s Day this year as a new first time father to his three week old female calf.

The female’s mother is four year old Oakleaf who arrived at the zoo back in April 2015.

Moose calves are helpless at birth and their mothers keep them hidden from enemies for the first few days of their lives. The moose calf gains the most weight and is the fastest of all big North American animals, gaining more than a half a kilogram a day during the first month. In addition, a calf can outrun a human and swim only after a few days.

The moose is the largest member of the deer family and the largest mammal in North America, and is one of the national animals of Canada. They are found in Canadian forests from the Alaska boundary to the eastern tip of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species lists the Moose as “Least Concern”. However, threats to the status of moose populations do exist and are primarily human-caused habitat alteration.

The new calf does not have a name as of yet,.

Visitors can come by to see her along with her parents, Oakleaf and Jester, although she might be at a distance for a while until everyone feels comfortable.

Newborn moose calf with mother at Greater Vancouver Zoo in Aldergrove.