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Alces alces
Step quietly into the misty northern forests, and you might just spot a true giant crunching on some leaves—it's the massive Moose! As the largest member of the deer family, a moose is so big it can easily look right over the roof of a car! The boys boast enormous, flat, velvety scoops branching out from their heads called antlers, which they proudly use to show off. With super-long, knobby legs, a big, long snout, and a funny furry wattle swinging under their chin (called a 'bell'), they definitely look like they stepped right out of a fairytale!
Even though they are towering giants upon the land, you might be surprised to learn that moose love the water! They have special hooves that keep them from sinking into muddy swamps, and they are excellent, powerful swimmers. Sometimes, they even dive their whole heavy head completely underwater just to grab a mouthful of their favorite tasty pond weeds! Usually wandering alone through the silent, cold pine trees or munching on willow branches alongside a calm lake, the peaceful moose is the undisputed heavyweight king of the quiet, frosty woods.
Due to shorter, warmer winters caused by climate change, massive swarms of parasitic winter ticks survive and dangerously weaken passing moose.
Being done about itGlobal action to fight shifting climate patterns, and constant biological monitoring sweeps to track tick load density.
Because their dark coloring blends into the night trees, they frequently wander onto rural highways, causing deadly crashes.
Being done about itInstalling highly reflective wildlife fences and building oversized underpasses along critical, ancient migration checkpoints.
Habitat management remains the primary conservation tool for the Moose, focusing on preserving the massive tracts of continuous boreal wetland they require for summer foraging. Additionally, managing predator balances (like wolf and bear ratios) and heavily regulating hunting licenses ensures local populations remain extremely stable over long timescales.
