Winter Ticks Taking A Toll On Moose Calves In New England

CONCORD, N.H. - Moose calves are dying at unprecedented levels in parts of New England, mostly from ticks that are managing to thrive in the winter.Researchers from Maine and New Hampshire found nearly 90 percent of moose calves that died in recent winters in the two states were killed off by ticks, which latch onto the animal in the tens of thousands and drain their blood.
 
In the study published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology, researchers found that 125 calves died from 2014 to 2016, and 88 percent of those deaths were tick-related.
 
One of the study's authors, Peter Pekins of the University of New Hampshire, said the moose population has declined because of ticks, especially in New Hampshire. But he expects the population to survive.