Moose face escalating welfare threats from tick infestations amplified by climate change, brain worm, and vehicle collisions across their North American and Eurasian range.
Winter tick infestations cause prolonged suffering in moose. Animals carrying over 50,000 ticks lose so much blood that they develop severe anaemia and spend abnormal amounts of time trying to scratch or rub off ticks, disrupting feeding and rest. Calves that survive tick-infested winters enter spring weakened and often die before summer. The warming climate is extending the tick season and increasing per-animal burden — a direct climate welfare harm affecting millions of moose across North America. Brainworm causes progressive neurological deterioration including loss of coordination, unusual behaviour, and inability to avoid predators before death — a slow, distressing disease process. Vehicle collision survivors may sustain serious injuries and die slowly without access to veterinary care. No practical management solution exists for tick or brainworm control at landscape scale.