Maine Moose Populations In Free-Fall; Warmer Winters Leave "Walking Dead" Animals Drained By Ticks
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HARI SREENIVASAN: The main theory New Hampshire researchers are pursuing is that the massive moose die-off is caused primarily by a devastating parasite, the winter tick. On the day we visited, biologists retrieved a dead calf that was completely covered with winter ticks.
PETER PEKINS: Literally, this is the walking dead. The animal is totally emaciated. And there is no way it can survive. These are the engorged adult ticks.
HARI SREENIVASAN: It is suspected the ticks latch on in fall and live off the animal’s blood for months.
PETER PEKINS: They are literally being sucked dry of blood. So, they can’t consume protein to replace the blood loss. Their only choice is to catabolize their own tissues. And that is going to be their muscles. The hind legs on a moose are some the most powerful legs in North America. And that animal doesn’t have any. And it’s because it has chewed up its own body to survive as long as it can. And you can see that that is quite a bit of blood.
HARI SREENIVASAN: The winter tick parasite is not new, but its explosive population growth is. Reaching an animal like this calf soon after death allows scientists to document just how many ticks there were before they drop off in pursuit of a live host. Scientists suspect that warmer winter temperatures are leading to the increased number of parasites. The National Wildlife Federation’s Eric Orff is not affiliated with the state’s research team. While this winter was cold, he worries the longer-term warming trend and the rise in tick populations are part of a larger problem: climate change.
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http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/alarming-decline-wild-moose-new-hampshire/
