Of Moose and Men: A Wildlife Vet’s Pursuit of the World’s Largest Deer

Until he was offered a job in Saskatoon, Canada, Kenya-born wildlife veterinarian Jerry Haigh tended to elephants and rhinos. A self-described “North American greenhorn,” Haigh’s intercontinental transfer marked the commencement of an engagingly chronicled love affair with the moose. A charmingly unrestrained narrator presents chapter subtitles like “More matters moosey,” offering a hodgepodge of information about the behemoth of the family Cervidae. From the historical to the biological, Haigh leaves no aspect of moose-bound lore uncovered, like the details of their Ice Age immigration to North America over the Bering land bridge. A fascinating chapter on the function of antlers explains how deeply intertwined they are with sex (a castrated moose’s antlers look entirely different, resembling a mass of coral). In a typical moose anecdote, Haigh explains how during the mating season, female moose have been known to make “protest” cries when approached by an amorous male that they deem too small or weak—these cries draw bigger, stronger males to the scene—to which a colleague of his noted: “This is not unique to moose, I have seen it bars in Wisconsin.” For those who will never get to share a drink with Haigh, here’s everything about moose you never realized you wanted to know. (May)