New England moose population dwindling as climate warms

ACTON — The devastating toll of ticks on New England’s moose herd has caused the region’s population to shrink, and experts worry it could get worse with climate change.

The northern New England states are home to thousands of moose, but the herd has dwindled in the last decade, in part because of the winter ticks. The ticks infest moose and suck their blood dry, and sometimes tens of thousands are found on a single animal.

Maine has the largest moose population east of Alaska and was home to some 76,000 animals about seven years ago. The herd size is commonly estimated at 60,000 to 70,000 now, but Lee Kantar, Maine’s moose biologist, said that number might be as low as 50,000.

The ticks are a worsening problem because of recent mild winters, which allow them to thrive, Kantar said. Scientists in Maine are entering the final year of a multiyear study of the moose population in its northern and western areas and have found better survival of moose calves in northern areas, which is usually Maine’s coldest corner.

Read more: https://www.journaltribune.com/articles/stateregional/new-england-moose-population-dwindling-as-climate-warms/
(Biddeford Journal Tribune)