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Hugh Edwards, 76, has seen a lot of moose during the 33 years he's lived in Alaska, but few could compare to an unusual colored ungulate he spotted just south of Kenai last month.

"It was shocking," Edwards said in regard to a moose with numerous naturally occurring white blotches to its coat, most of which are on the animal's face, neck and shoulders.

Luckily for Edwards, he said he had the right equipment with him to prove what he had witnessed.

"I saw it off of Cannery Road. It was a Saturday and I had my camera with me because I go down every once in a while to take pictures," he said.

Edwards said he initially sped by the moose, but caught enough of a glimpse that he knew something was a little different about this animal.

"I turned around, then parked and shot photos of it from the car. There was two of them, but the other one with it was a normal color. They were just eating along the side of the road. A couple of other cars stopped too, but they just kept eating," he said.

Edwards said the entire time he has lived in Alaska, he has only seen one other moose as unique.

"Way back in the '70's I saw one in the Swanson River area that was completely white," he said.

Jeff Selinger, area wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Soldotna, said he receives a calls a year of moose fitting this unusual description, although many of the callers may be describing the same animal, just in a different location on a different day.

"Piebald is what it's called, and it's uncommon, but not rare. It's characterized by white blotches, unlike albinos which are more rare, and completely white with pink eyes and whitish-pink hooves," he said.

Selinger explained that many of the calls Fish and Game has received about piebald moose, come from a vicinity near where this recent sighting occurred.

"North Cohoe and the K-Beach area are where we've had most of the sightings locally, but in other parts of the state, such as Healy, they seem to have a higher occurrence of them," he said.

As to if the blotchy white spots could help or hurt the moose in terms of camouflage from predators or hunters, Selinger said it was difficult to say for certain, but he suggested that the unusual color pattern could make it more visible when crossing the road at night, reducing the risk of it being hit by a motorist.

Though not in front of a vehicle, but Edwards said he hopes the moose with this particular pattern will show itself more.

"I'd like to see it again because it was really something. You just don't see them like that everyday," he said.

Joseph Robertia can be reached at joseph.robertia@peninsulaclarion.com.