The Big Elk, also known as Storelgen (meaning 'the big elk' in Norwegian), is the world's second-tallest sculpture of an elk/moose (Alces alces; this species is known as elk in Europe and moose in North America). It is near the village of Atna in Stor-Elvdal Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It held the title of the tallest moose sculpture for 4 years, from its completion in October 2015 until October 2019.
The sculpture Paid for by a donation from Sparebank1 Hedmark art foundation,Vivian Stensrud (15 October 2015) Storelgen er på plass NRK. Retrieved 30 January 2019 the sculpture was created by the Norwegian artist Linda Bakke in conjunction with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA). It was officially unveiled on 15 October 2015.Rune Hagen (27 July 2015) Østlendingen. Retrieved 1 February 2019 It is close to National Road 3 and is an attempt to reduce traffic accidents by encouraging drivers to take a break and be aware of wildlife on the roads. Stor-Elvdal has Norway's third-highest moose population.
The project started in 2009. The building and installation of the sculpture took around six months. It was produced in Beijing, China, as a Chinese bidder had the best offer both in economic terms and with regard to quality. Daily Scandinavian. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2019 It is made of polished stainless steel.Leyland Cecco (18 January 2019) An egregious offence': Canada battles Norway for tallest moose statue The Guardian The height is ,Vaaju.com Vaaju.com. Retrieved 12 March 2019 and at the time of its completion it was about taller than Mac the Moose in Canada.Øistein Norum Monsen and Halldor Hustadnes (17 January 2019) Canada erklærer elg-krig mot Norge Dagbladet. Retrieved 1 February 2019 The sculpture cost a little more than €200,000 (about US$236,000), and the Bjøråa picnic area and rest stop in the area, created by the NPRA, is worth €2.7 million (about $3 million).
Rivalry and media coverage In January 2019, Canadian comedians Justin Reves and Greg Moore highlighted the fact that The Big Elk was the world's tallest moose statue and called on Canadians to add to the height of Mac the Moose which previously held the title. The comedians set up a GoFundMe page to hire an engineer to make Mac taller, hoping to raise C$50,000. This created widespread attention in Canadian media and international media.*Norway and Canada battle for the title of the world's tallest moose statue Evening Standard. Retrieved 13 March 2019 Rebecca Hill (29 January 2019) Canadians moot methods to embiggen moose monument and make Mac great again The Register Sandra E. Garcia (20 January 2019) Norway and Canada Go Head to Head Over the World's Tallest Moose Statues New York Times. Retrieved 30 January 2019
Fraser Tolmie, the mayor of Moose Jaw, told the BBC: 'We're considered to be very mannerly and respectful, but there are things you just don't do to Canadians. You don't mess with Mac the Moose.' A popular suggestion, according to the mayor, is to make Mac's antlers larger, while others have suggested adding a pair of stilettos.There's some major beef between Canada and Norway over their giant moose statues Metro. Retrieved 13 March 2019 In October 2019, a new set of antlers was added to Mac the Moose, making it taller than the Big Elk.
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