A moose that shut down a popular Adirondack hiking trail last spring was severely emaciated and suffering from chronic brain inflammation, according to a new report.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation recently released a necropsy report on the sick moose, which was euthanized in August.
The report says “microscopic lesions” of the moose’s brain resulting from chronic inflammation contributed to its emaciated state and its “inability to navigate effectively.”
The three-year-old bull moose’s erratic behavior led to speculation that it was infected with Parelaphostrongylus tenuis, or brainworm, but lab analysis of its brain tissue showed no signs of brainworm, according to the report.
Multiple pathogens were also ruled out via targeted testing, including rabies, West Nile virus, Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Chronic Wasting Disease, and many others.
The necropsy also revealed evidence of a giant liver fluke infection, a potentially lethal parasite, but “the damage was not considered extensive compared to other NY moose,” the report says.
Hikers first noticed the moose near the summit of Goodman Mountain in May. It exhibited no fear of people and was unresponsive to hazing.
The moose hung around the same small area for several months, forcing DEC to close the Goodman Mountain Trail, a segment of the popular Tupper Lake Triad challenge.
Cameras set up to monitor the animal in June captured “a slight head tilt and declining body condition over time,” the report says.
The sick moose was euthanized by a DEC biologist on August 6 with a rifle shot to the heart. The Goodman Mountain Trail was reopened three weeks later.
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