"I guess the moose didn't have any use for them," sighed Else Berntsen as she plucked up the clothes and clothespins that were strewn all over her backyard.
Berntsen told newspaper Oppland Arbeiderblad that she has no doubt a moose is the culprit. Only the so-called "King of the Forest" is known to resort to such theft.
Several similar incidents have been reported in recent months. In one unfortunate case, a male moose was spotted with a laundry rack tangled in its antlers, and he later was found dead in the woods, with the rack still attached.
It remains unclear why local moose go after the laundry racks. Some experts suggest the moose confuse the racks with rival moose, because the racks can resemble an antler system. Others wonder whether laundry flapping in the breeze attracts the large animals, either fascinating or threatening them.
Still others point to another bizarre but common problem when moose venture into residential areas in late autumn: Fruit left hanging, or on the ground, from apple trees literally ferments and can intoxicate animals that eat it. Perhaps the moose in Gjøvik was slightly drunk and therefore mistook the laundry rack for another moose?
"There were no old apples lying in my garden," retorts Berntsen.
Wildlife officials tried to track down the moose after witnesses reported seeing a moose with a laundry rack, but were unsuccessful.
