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Conservation officers with the MNR believe the moose may be infested with ticks
Published Mar 30, 2026 • 3 minute read
This young moose has been resting beside Susan Crook’s gazebo since about 10 p.m. on Sunday night. Crook said the animal has been bleeding and she is concerned for its welfare. Photo by SUSAN CROOK /For The Sudbury StarArticle content
There is concern for an injured moose that has wandered onto a rural property in Wahnapitae.
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Susan Crook, a resident of Dryden Road East, first noticed the moose Sunday evening at about 10 p.m. She was getting ready to go outside with her border collie.
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“I was getting ready to take my dog out for a walk, and my husband noticed this dark thing at the back of the yard — we live in the woods — and he said, ‘you might want to wait a few minutes, because there’s a moose in the backyard.’ But it was just lying down. An hour later, it was still there. I had to get my dog out, so I let her out, and as soon as she stepped onto the deck, she spotted it and started barking like crazy. I got her right back in.”
Eventually, Crook said she led her canine pal outside for a quick hygiene break, then took her right in again to avoid disturbing the moose.
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Initially, Crook thought the moose was resting and taking a break from moving through the deep snow. But Monday morning, she noticed it was still outside her gazebo.
“It’s a smaller moose, so it’s young,” she commented. “And it looked like it was bleeding because the snow was getting coloured there. We can’t go anywhere — I had to cancel a doctor’s appointment because I didn’t want to disturb the moose by getting the car out.”
Crook said finding help proved to be challenging. She called the City of Greater Sudbury and the Turtle Pond Wildlife Centre, but said they are not certified to work with hoofed animals. She also called the Ministry of Natural Resources Monday morning. When she first contacted The Star, she was waiting for a return call.
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“We’ve been trying to phone everybody,” she said. “We’ve done everything — from calling the town and the local animal shelters. If anybody’s got a phone number we can call, to find out what to do.”
While Turtle Pond could offer no assistance, Crook said the woman she spoke with told her many animals are struggling right now because of the conditions.
“She told me there’s a lot of struggling moose out there right now because of the depth of the snow,” she said. “A lot of them are are just out of energy, because they’re out of food. At this size, they’re still with mom usually. I don’t know whether maybe the mum got killed and he got hurt, and ended up in my yard. He’s not bleeding profusely, but I can see a stain.”
She confirmed the stain was red.
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Susan Crook, a resident of Wahnapitae, cancelled a doctor’s appointment Monday to avoid disturbing an injured young moose that has been resting on her property since Sunday. Photo by SUSAN CROOK /For The Sudbury Star
Crook investigated the moose tracks that led from the bush and she said there were bits of blood here and there.
“It was a slow drip, but I just don’t want him to have such a slow, bad death right here,” she said.
Crook provided an update Monday afternoon.
“The moose got up, wandered around the house, then through the west field and into the woods. It stayed within 20 feet of the edge eating twigs, then wandered back eating snow from the high piles and then started eating my maple tree, which did need a bit of a trimming, and is now lying down under the tree by the composter,” she wrote in an email.
She said the MNR had visited the property. Conservation officers told Crook it appeared the moose was infested with ticks.
“The moose got up and slowly wandered off to the east side woods. They said there were ticks on the ground. Ticks can drain an animal’s energy and a bad infestation can kill a moose. The blood could be from the legs going through the deep snow and from it scratching because of the ticks.”
After officers left, Crook gathered a couple dozen ticks. The moose returned, where it remained Monday afternoon.
“Once they left I scooped up all the ticks I could find — about 20 — took a picture of one with a tape measure beside it, then put them in a ziploc bag. As soon as they left, the moose came back and has settled down out of the deep snow at the gazebo once again. Now my only concern are the coyotes smelling the blood.”
As of deadline, the MNR had not responded to The Star’s request for comment.
mkkeown@postmedia.com
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