Spring means newborns at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

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Two orphan moose calfs at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, June 1, 2012.

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center's three orphaned moose calves and two musk ox calves will come together in one large orphan-rearing enclosure on Monday, June 3. This is an experiment that shows promise, according to officials at the center. Moose and musk oxen do not occur together in the wild, but the center has hopes the youngsters will get along.

But the moose and musk oxen aren't the only animals competing for the title of cutest beasts at the center this spring. The AWCC is veritably awash in newborns this year, following an abundance of young wood bison -- an estimated 30 new calves were born this spring to a herd of about 102 adults.

One of the new moose calves was rescued following an attack by dogs near the Alaska town of Talkeetna. AWCC volunteers stitched the animal up and it was making a nice recovery. It will join numerous other moose rescued over the year by the center. Some rescued animals are released back into the wild, while others remain for years.

The center is in Portage, about a hour's drive south of Anchorage on the Seward Highway, and is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day during the summer.