The photo on Facebook recently of a hairless moose near Foleyet raised a lot of questions. MNRF outreach specialist Michelle Nowak says it’s caused by winter ticks.
“Irritation caused by winter tick infestations cause moose to groom and lick excessively in an attempt to relieve the discomfort and sometimes it results in severe hair loss,” she explains. It can also happen to elk and whitetail deer.
“These effects can kill moose, especially during March to April,” Nowak adds, “as the moose’s energy supplies dwindle at the end of the winter and the potential for hypothermia rises in the spring.”
Nowak points out that winter ticks pose a negligible risk to humans.
The average infestation on a moose is 3,800 ticks. The highest ever recorded in Ontario is 82,000.
