VIDEO: Moose Splashes and Plays In Waterhole

Moose are remarkably well adapted to water, being able to swim in water for 10 miles uninterrupted.  Additionally, their long legs help them get through deep water and now.  They've even figured out how to eat underwater plants like pondweed and water lily.

But no mere clinically observational scientific analysis can explain what this moose is doing.  Because this moose is having what scientists refer to as fun. 

It's the moose equivalent of popping off the top of a fire hydrant and dancing under the spray -- a joyful evocation of moose-dom!

Well, maybe there is a scientific explanation. Take the oh-so-dry 1963 academic paper "On the Behaviour of the North American Moose (Alces alces andersoni Peterson 1950) in British Columbia" by the colorfully named Valerius Geist. Submitted to the peer-reviewed scientific journal "Behaviour", in which academics write hundreds of joyless pages about animal conduct, the academic article identifies 11 kinds of moose antics that could be considered "play". Number six is "solitary moose attacking water puddles in defense position, splashing and hopping in them."  

So there you have it, folks.  The scientific community has pinpointed just what sort of attitude this moose is expressing, and the answer is: play.

Remember, if a scientist says so, it must be true.  Check out the video of the fun-loving moose below. And for more moose fun, check out this one racing a car in Ennis!