Health & Fitness
Climate Change Threatens Moose Population
The increasing tick population due to mild winters is devastating to Vermont's moose
Many Vermonters may have noticed an increase in the number of ticks in our state in recent years. As our winters become shorter and warmer, Vermont becomes increasingly hospitable to ticks. As a native Vermonter, I have always been proud of my state’s biodiversity; being able to walk out my back door and spot the tracks of deer, bears, moose, snowshoe hares, foxes, and many other species is something that not many others can boast. However, climate change has begun to threaten this biodiversity, and the rise of our tick population is a prime example of this.
As ticks become more abundant, they have begun to threaten Vermont moose. Moose have become increasingly burdened by ticks in recent years - the average number of ticks found on a young moose is an incredible 47,000. This many ticks cause anemia in their host. This is usually survivable for adult moose, but has caused a dramatic increase in the mortality rate for young moose, as well as an increase in stillbirths and abortions. Our moose population is less than half of what it was fifteen years ago. Climate change is already causing tangible problems in Vermont. I urge you to contact your local and state representatives and put pressure on them to support climate legislation.
