Or, at least, no one can prove having seen a moose in Fiordland over the last seventy years. Rumors, though, are abundant. Many explorers claim to have seen the creatures stomping around the mountainous forests and the fjords (or fiords). In 2005, there were even some unsubstantiated DNA tests that suggested that moose still made Fiordland their home. 

In 2011, a New Zealand clothing company called Hallenstein Brothers decided to turn the moose rumors into a marketing campaign. According to the Otago Daily Times, the company partnered with a long-time moose hunter named Ken Tustin in hopes of finding the elusive (and potentially no-longer-present) creatures. Tustin had spent decades looking for moose, setting up cameras throughout the region, as seen here. But ultimately, he was with nothing to show for it (except for a book about his adventures) and wanted more eyes -- and publicity -- for his search; Hallenstein wanted more eyes on their shirts. So the company hired Tustin to be the face of their moose-finding advertising campaign and offered up a bounty: AU$100,000 (about $75k US) for a photo of a moose taken in Fiordland.

The campaign didn't yield a moose photo and the increase of shirt sales, if any, has gone unreported. The lack of bounty hasn't gotten people to give up the search, though. As recently as March of 2020, a 24-year-old helicopter pilot claimed to have seen on in the area, but being in a helicopter, didn't have a chance to get a photo. The search for the moose continues.