This month we celebrate the moose of the British Isles!

Who would have thought that moose could swim so far!  All of these moose came to the United States via Moose Island off the coast of Maine. (It’s like Ellis Island for moose.)  An interesting tidbit is that during the War of 1812, it was seized by British Naval Forces, yet today it is the gateway for moose to enter the United States of America!

We would like to introduce to you Culloden, British Bob and Betty, Kilarney, and Jiles.

I am Culloden.  I hail from the highlands of Scotland.  I have been in the states for over 12 years and would never dream of going back.  Well, I might go back for a visit. Scotland is a beautiful country, but now this is my home.   I heard rumors while in Scotland that America was filled with good things and plenty, but I had no idea that among those good things were plenty of moose!  This is such a welcoming place that I feel like I was born here.  And, I must confess, the food is a whole lot better.  Hamburgers instead of haggis certainly works for me!

We are British Bob and Betty from Birmingham, England.  (How’s that for some alliteration.)  We loved our life in England, but when we heard our friends talk about the USA, we just had to see for ourselves what goes on in this country.  Boy, what a surprise we had when we showed up and saw hundreds of domesticated moose living indoors in one residence!  In England, it tends to rain just about every day (or so it seems) so living with a roof over our heads, indoor plumbing, and over 100 channels on the TV is remarkable.  We are now surrounded with other majestic moose and we feel right at home.  While we love our traditional steak and kidney pie, nothing beats an American pizza delivered right to the door!  Wow! What a country!

I am Kilarney from Killarney, Ireland…a wonderful, beautiful place filled with rolling hills, green lands and friendly people.  If Ireland has all of these things, who would want to leave, right?  Well, believe it or not, I was the only moose there.  Don’t get me wrong, I was welcomed and treated marvelously, but something was missing…other moose.  As I traveled through the countryside for the first couple of years of my life, I talked to many sheep, badgers, and brown big-eared bats none of which ever saw a moose before they met me.  They thought I was one cool looking animal and we had some fun times together.  They were so kind; they helped me map out how to get to America to find other moose.  It took a long time, but the trip was worth it.  I miss my friends in Ireland, but I know they are very happy for me because I found such a wonderful home here.  While the green, green grass of Ireland is beautiful to look at, it doesn’t come close in taste to a hearty dinner of spaghetti and meatballs!

I was originally born Jeeves from Wales where I was a butler for a very prodigious family.   I was treated very well, but I always wanted to travel, so I set my sights on America knowing there were 50 different states I could visit.  When I first crossed the Pond and entered Moose Island, I changed my name to Jiles.  Actually, I wanted to be named Miles (for all of the traveling I planned to do), but my name was typed wrong on the form and Jiles it is.  I traveled through six states before I stumbled upon the town I would call home.  The internet is great, but nowhere on the World Wide Web did it say that the majority of moose live in a city, an actual urban area, in the mid-west.  Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon this average looking house only to see hundreds of moose looking out the window.  They were actually inside the dwelling.  I knew right away that America was a super place.  I must add that while Wales is known for its delicious breakfast treats, nothing beats a plate of steak and eggs.  What a country this America is!