In June, Roland Rydstrom opened the blinds of his home in Anchorage, Alaska, to let in the morning light. Little did he know, what awaited him outside was far more captivating than the usual view. In his backyard, a mother moose and her twin calves had made themselves comfortable, basking in the sun and turning his garden into a makeshift moose resort.
Rydstrom had been aware that two mother moose had given birth to twins in the nearby woods, often catching brief glimpses of them passing through. However, this was different—this moose family had no intention of moving on. They appeared perfectly content to lounge in Rydstrom’s yard, using it as their nursery for the day.
Realizing he was witnessing something special, Rydstrom quickly snapped a few photos with his phone. “I sat down to work, and fully expected the moose to walk away, but they didn’t,” Rydstrom told The Dodo. “They would just change positions, and as you can see from the pictures, they kept moving to stay in the sun—the babies, in particular.”
“It was fantastic to see the babies lounging together,” he added. “They would get up and move positions every once in a while.”
Throughout the day, Rydstrom kept an eye on the moose family from the safety of his window, respecting their space. “We know these are wild animals,” he said. “Especially with a mom and her babies, we always give them the room they need to lounge and relax.”
At one point, the curious calves added a touch of mischief to their visit. One of the babies knocked over Rydstrom’s marigold pot, seemingly scratching its head against it. The pot tipped over, and the mischievous smile on the baby’s face suggested it knew exactly what it had done.
The moose family left twice during the day, only to return each time. “They got up and walked away, and I thought they’d be gone, but they came back and did it again,” Rydstrom said. “They tasted everything on their way out, doing what babies do—putting everything in their mouths.”
Around 7 p.m., the peaceful scene turned into a brief moment of excitement. Rydstrom heard a loud noise from the backyard and rushed to the window. “All of a sudden, I realized the other cow and her calves were running through our backyard and ran through that family,” Rydstrom recalled. “The mom and babies jumped up and took off after them. It was an action-packed day.”
Despite the occasional chaos, Rydstrom doesn’t mind. If the moose ever decide to return for another day in his yard, he’s more than happy to babysit.
