Wild Moose Welfare and Tick Infestation

Winter ticks are devastating moose populations in northeastern North America. Warming winters are allowing tick populations to explode, causing mass infestation and welfare harm.

Key Facts

A single moose can carry over 150,000 winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) — enough to cause severe anemia and death
Ghost moose — animals with patchy white coats from hair loss caused by tick scratching — are increasingly common
Calves are most vulnerable: tick-laden calves in spring may be too weak to survive
Moose populations in New Hampshire and Vermont have declined by 40-60% over recent decades
Winter ticks thrive when autumn snowfall is delayed — snow kills ticks before they can reattach to hosts
Climate change extending tick-friendly autumn conditions is the primary driver of population increases

Welfare Considerations

Tick-infested moose experience a prolonged, debilitating welfare crisis: intense itching drives hair-rubbing behavior that damages the coat needed for winter insulation, leading to secondary cold stress; anemia from blood loss causes weakness and reduced foraging capacity; and severely infested calves may suffer for months before dying of exhaustion. This is a large-scale, climate-driven welfare harm affecting thousands of animals annually, with no practical individual-level intervention possible at wild population scale.

What You Can Do

Support climate policy that reduces autumn warming trends allowing tick population explosions
Donate to moose research programs monitoring tick loads and population health in northeastern North America
Support wildlife corridor programs that maintain connectivity between moose subpopulations
Learn about and advocate for scientifically-based moose hunting regulations that account for tick-driven decline