Moose are the largest members of the deer family and face increasing welfare pressures from climate change, parasites, and human development in their boreal and subarctic habitats.
Moose welfare is being transformed by climate change in ways that cause genuine suffering to individual animals. Winter tick infestations — which explode when mild winters allow more ticks to survive — cause affected moose to scratch obsessively, losing the insulating coat they need to survive cold snaps. Ghost moose — animals with massive hair loss from tick-induced scratching — can die from hypothermia in late winter cold events. Brain worm infection causes progressive neurological deterioration: affected moose show disorientation, fearlessness, and inability to walk or feed normally before death. These are prolonged, distressing deaths. Climate action that reduces winter warming is the systemic welfare intervention; targeted management can address immediate impacts.