Sweden: Climate crisis hits moose hard

Moose are as quintessentially Swedish as cinnamon rolls and Abba.

Yet the climate crisis is leaving its mark on the animals too. In southern Sweden, their numbers could continue to decline. And that is not the only consequence.

Above the snow-covered rooftops of Stockholm, the antlers of Zilke reach into the sky. Älvira lies among spruce branches in the snow. The bull moose and the cow moose live at the open-air museum Skansen, which offers a stunning view over the snow-covered Swedish capital. In the frosty temperatures of winter, the moose feel particularly at ease.

But temperatures are rising. Climate change is not sparing even the traditionally cool Scandinavia. According to the meteorological authority SMHI, Sweden has warmed by almost two degrees since the end of the 19th century. This also has consequences for the moose, which people in Germany associate with Sweden as readily as Pippi Longstocking, Abba and Ikea.

Unlike their counterparts in the wild, three-year-old Zilke and Älvira, a year his junior, live in Skansen under more sheltered conditions, free from predators and competition for food – yet no one can easily protect them from the climate crisis. “In Sweden, we have seen impacts on the moose population,” says their keeper Victor. Summer heatwaves in particular, which the southern part of the country has experienced several times in recent years, are not good for the animals.

In summer, moose prefer temperatures of no more than 15 degrees

The cold, on the other hand, is something moose appreciate. According to Anders Nilsson, it is decisive for the animals. When Nilsson steps out in front of his office at the rural wildlife park Öster Malma, about 70 kilometres southwest of Stockholm, the snow reaches up to his ankles. The low temperatures create favourable conditions for the five moose that live here. In winter they prefer temperatures no higher than five degrees, and in summer no more than 15 degrees, says Nilsson. In the warmer south of Sweden, the animals could face greater hardship in the future as temperatures rise.

According to wildlife researcher Hendrik Bluhm, climate change is also affecting the quality of food available to moose. The growing season is shifting and no longer aligns as well with the birth period of moose calves, says the researcher from the Geographical Institute of Humboldt University Berlin. At the very time when mothers need food with the highest energy content, the plants are no longer as fresh and nutrient-rich as they once were.

One consequence: calves weigh less, particularly in southern Sweden, as Nilsson reports. Even fully grown animals, which can weigh up to half a tonne, are no longer growing as large. “When they lose body weight, they are generally less capable of reproduction, and that is of course a problem in the long term,” says the Swede. A young, healthy moose cow will typically give birth to a calf when she is two and a half years old. If her health deteriorates, however, this may not occur until she is four or five years old.

Numbers are also declining

Not only the size of the young animals, but also their numbers are decreasing throughout Sweden, according to wildlife researcher Fredrik Widemo. This can be attributed at least in part to the consequences of climate change. Comparable developments have already occurred in other regions of the world: in the southern parts of the North American range, moose have already disappeared due to the climate crisis, says the researcher from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. “It is likely that this will also be the case in southern Sweden if we do not succeed in reversing the current trend.”

But how can this trend be reversed — beyond more resolute climate action? Widemo suggests, for example, planting more shrubs such as blueberry bushes and pine trees to make it easier for moose to access food. His German colleague Bluhm points out that during hot and dry periods, areas that provide cooling — such as wetlands, lakes, and dense forests — become particularly important. Time will tell “whether there is an absolute hard limit beyond which things simply no longer work, or whether there are certain conditions that are not optimal right now but that the adaptable animals will continue to cope with and endure.”

The moose is selective in some respects. Animal keeper Victor observes this daily during feeding. At the open-air museum Skansen, moose are fed pine bark in winter, among other things. “As a treat, they prefer blueberry bushes,” says Victor. The animals are not very adventurous when it comes to trying new things.

Up to 360,000 wild moose in Sweden

According to zoo director Tomas Frisk, the open-air museum Skansen attracts 1.4 million visitors per year. Half of them come from abroad, with tourists from Germany making up the largest group. Foreign visitors are particularly interested in the reindeer and moose, says Frisk. And at the moment, there are still many of them to be seen in the Swedish wild: according to the hunting association, between 240,000 and 360,000 moose live in the country during summer.

According to Nilsson, the climate crisis and its impact on animals could also affect tourism: “In the distant future, Germans may have to travel further north to see a moose.” This is because, according to wildlife researcher Bluhm, the population in southern Sweden could shrink. The reason: if higher temperatures and extreme events such as droughts or heatwaves become the rule rather than the exception, the range of moose within the country could diminish.

Animal keeper Victor is concerned that one day there may be no more moose in southern Sweden. However, he currently sees a glimmer of hope with Zilke and Älvira: he suspects the moose pair may be expecting offspring. Come spring, Skansen may be home to one more little moose calf. More on the topicWildlife and Environment.

You can help all animals and our planet with compassion. Choose compassion on your plate and in your glass. Go vegan.