The climate crisis also affects the Swedish moose

But temperatures are rising. Climate change does not stop at Scandinavia, which is usually cool. According to the meteorological authority SMHI, it has been almost two degrees warmer in Sweden since the late 19th century. This also has consequences for the moose, which is associated with Sweden in Germany or Austria, just like Pippi Longstocking, Abba and Ikea.

Effects on the population
Unlike their counterparts in the wild, the three-year-old “Zilke” and the one-year-younger “Älvira” live in Skansen more sheltered, without enemies and jealousy over food – but no one can protect them so easily from the climate crisis. “In Sweden, we’ve seen effects on the moose population,” says her caretaker Victor. Summer heat waves, which the south of the country has experienced several times in recent years, are particularly bad for the animals.

Elk, on the other hand, love the cold. According to Anders Nilsson of the Swedish hunting association, it is crucial for the animals. When Nilsson leaves his office in the rural Öster Malma wildlife park, about 70 kilometers southwest of Stockholm, the snow is up to his ankles. The low temperatures create good conditions for the five moose that make their home here. In the winter they don’t like warmer than five degrees, in the summer it should not be more than 15 degrees, says Nilsson. In the warmer south of Sweden, the animals could have a harder time with rising temperatures in the future.

The quality of the feed suffers
According to naturalist Hendrik Bluhm, climate change is also affecting the quality of feed available to moose. The vegetation period is shifting and no longer corresponds very well with the birth time of the moose calves, says the researcher from the Institute of Geography at Humboldt University in Berlin. If the mothers really need food with the best energy, the plants are no longer as fresh and nutritious.

One consequence: the calves weigh less, especially in the south of Sweden, Nilsson reports. Even the adults, which can weigh up to half a ton, would not be that big anymore. “If they lose body weight, they are often less fertile, and that is of course a long-term problem,” says the Swede. A young, healthy moose usually gives birth to a calf when she is two and a half years old. If her health deteriorates, it may not be until she is four or five years old.

The number of youngsters is also declining
According to naturalist Fredrik Widemo, not only the size of the fry, but also their numbers are decreasing all over Sweden. This can be attributed, at least in part, to the effects of climate change. Something similar has already happened in other parts of the world: in southern parts of the North American range, moose have disappeared due to the climate crisis, says the researcher from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. “It will probably also be the case in southern Sweden if we fail to reverse the current trend.”

But how can this development be reversed – beyond more determined climate protection? For example, Widemo suggests planting more plants, such as blueberry bushes and pine trees, to give moose easier access to food. His German colleague Bluhm states that areas that provide cooling, such as wetlands, lakes and dense forests, are important during hot and dry periods. Time will tell “whether there is an absolute hard line where it no longer works, or whether there are certain things that are not optimal now, but which the adaptable animals can continue to participate and tolerate”.

Moose doesn’t like to experiment
The moose is picky in some ways. Zookeeper Victor also sees this during the daily feeding. In the Skansen open-air museum, the moose are fed with pine bark in winter. “They prefer blueberry bushes as a treat,” says Victor. The animals are not very willing to experiment.

According to zoo director Tomas Frisk, the Skansen open-air museum attracts 1.4 million visitors a year. Half come from abroad. Of these, tourists from Germany formed the largest group. Foreign visitors are particularly interested in reindeer and moose, says Frisk. And at the moment there are still a lot to see in the wild in Sweden: according to the hunting association, between 240,000 and 360,000 moose live in the country during the summer.

“Drive further north to see the animals”
According to Nilsson, the climate crisis and its impact on animals could also affect tourism: “In the distant future, as a German, you may have to drive further north to see a moose.” Because in southern Sweden, according to naturalist Bluhm, the population could shrink. The reason: If higher temperatures and extreme events such as drought or heat waves become the rule rather than the exception, the range of moose in the country could decline.

Zookeeper Victor worries that one day there will be no moose left in southern Sweden. However, he currently sees a glimmer of hope with “Zilke” and “Älvira”: he suspects that the moose pair will have offspring. In the spring, Skansen might be richer with a small moose calf.