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Canadians fight back after losing ‘world’s tallest moose statue’ crown to Norway

‘Mac the Moose was the tallest moose in the whole world and the people of Norway have taken that from us.’

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Mayor Tolmie with Mac the Moose

A Canadian town whose moose statue has been overtaken as the tallest in the world is preparing to fight back.

Mac the Moose has stood proudly in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, since 1984, and, at 9.8 metres high (32.1ft), it long held the crown as the world’s tallest moose statue.

That changed in 2015 when the Big Elk was unveiled in Stor-Elvdal, Norway, standing a full 30cm (11.8in) taller than Mac.

Now the city of Moose Jaw is preparing itself to fight back.

In a video posted to Facebook on Wednesday, Fraser Tolmie, the city’s mayor, said he is ready to take action.

He said: “What are going to do folks? What are the people of Moose Jaw willing to do to overcome this situation? Mac the Moose was the tallest moose in the whole world and the people of Norway have taken that from us.

“Well I’m not going to stand for it.”

Tolmie added that it was “personal” to him because the statue is named after former city councillor Les McKenzie, his wife’s great uncle.

“He’s practically family to me,” Tolmie said of Mac the Moose.

The Mayor now wants suggestions of how Mac might reclaim his title. Among the strategies suggested have been adding a bigger rack to the moose, or even giving him a hat.

Tolmie appears to have been spurred into action by online comedy duo Justin and Greg.

The pair produced a video last week in which they called for action, saying: “We people of Saskatchewan, we are friendly, we are kind, we will give you the shirt off our back, but when you come after our national treasures, internationally known around the world, we will not abide that.”

They called on Tolmie to add 31cm to Mac and “stick it to Olso or else rename your city Jaw”.

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