Most of us have been working from home ever since the coronavirus pandemic started. It’s convenient and safe, but other people tend to feel less productive when they’re in the comfort of their own houses.
If you’re someone used to working in the office, surrounded by your colleagues, and with designated breaks, adjusting to the new normal of working could be challenging.
But for this man in Anchorage, Alaska, working at home has become a treat. That’s because he has an extraordinary view from his home office – a mother moose and her two calves!
The uninvited yet welcome guests popped over at Roland Rydstrom’s backyard one morning and spent the day there. When they arrived, the mammals inspected every inch of the garden, and when they determined they were safe, they rested and took a nap on the grass.
Roland took photos of the rare moment and shared the pictures on Facebook. The post immediately went viral, proving that people are in much need of feel-good stories like this one.
“Wow!! This is so awesome!!! You are right…your home office view is much better than mine!!! I would not be able to get anything else done but to watch them!!! Love the pictures!!!” one user commented.
“So adorable, and these pictures are so sweet! My question is, did you get any work done today,” asked another commenter.
Every time he looked up from working, he expected that the moose would be gone, but they weren’t. He’s not complaining though; in fact, they were a welcome sight! Roland said they were a “great distraction and fun way to spend the day” while working on his video editing job with the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra.
Throughout the day, as the mammals frolicked around and changed lounging spots, Roland would go back to the window and or open the door to snap more pictures of them. They were unaware of him most of the time, but their ears were up, which signals that they were alert.
The Alaska Moose is Anchorage’s official land mammal and the biggest member of the deer family. They are also the largest moose in the world. An estimated 175,000–200,000 of them inhabit Alaska.
Although moose are herbivores, they’re hefty eaters. In the summer, one can consume up to 73 pounds of food a day, and in the winter, they’ll happily munch on 34 pounds of tasty greens. In fact, they eat more than male black bears who devour up to 18 pounds of food a day.
It’s normal for people in northern Alaska to encounter a moose. Usually, they’ll go into people’s yards and eat whatever’s in their garden. While they’re not aggressive animals, the rule of thumb is never to approach them. A female moose won’t hesitate to attack if she perceives you as a threat to her young.
The moose in Roland’s backyard got there shortly before 9:00 AM and was there until around 7:00 PM. One of the calves got a bit naughty and knocked over one of the marigold pots in the yard. Just look at that mischievous look on its face!
The calves also spent a lot of time lounging together and moving with the sun throughout the day.
“They took two quick trips through the neighborhood, but quickly returned to their spots in our backyard,” Roland said in an interview with Bored Panda. “Most of the time, as you can see from the pictures, they really were just lounging here.
A neighbor reported that she’d observed this same moose family running along the road a few miles from our neighborhood earlier that morning. If I’d taken videos early in the morning, you’d have noticed that the mama, in particular, was breathing very heavily. They needed rest, and I think they felt safe to rest here in our backyard.”
Apparently, the calves are twins who were born 12 days before Roland took the pictures, according to his Facebook caption.
How adorable! Don’t you just wish you had the same work from home view?