Moose!
In Choteau Montana, the moose population is rapidly declining. Officials have not tracked a specific responsible source but, many contributors have been found. Winter ticks, a parasite that moose have not evolved along with and therefor do not have a resistance to them, have been a major factor in recent moose decline. The ticks who have been increasing in population do to a hike in warm weather, cause dramatic blood loss in the moose. this blood loss can cause anemia and the scratching causes fur loss which can lead to hypothermia during the winter. Hunting by both people and wolves are also a factor. Scientists find it hard to investigate because moose corpses decompose rapidly and are hard to track because moose do not travel in herds. Moose loss is detrimental to the moose-watching tourism which is a source of about $115 million dollars for the local economy. In an attempt to track the moose and find their bodies in time to examine, scientists have caught several moose and fitted them with monitors that track their location and heart beat. A researcher will receive a text message with coordinates whenever the moose's heart stops beating.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/15/science/earth/something-is-killing-off-the-moose.html?ref=us&_r=0
This is very strange that the moose population would just decrease so suddenly! I wonder why it is... Curious.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised so much money is made from the business of Moose-watching. That sounds like such an odd hobby. But such an interesting way to study them- A text message at a death. So odd!
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