Moose are multiplying in Scandinavia with local biologists estimating that numbers of moose in the region today are higher than they have been for centuries, perhaps since the Ice Age.
According to reports by United Press International, there were 30 times more moose in Scandinavia at the end of the 20th century than there were a century earlier.
As a result of the growing number of moose in the area, people have reported higher than usual numbers of collisions between moose and cars and trains.
The increased population of moose has drawn a higher than usual number of predators into the region, including wolves. Wolves, which are often considered pests by farmers, as they sometimes prey on livestock, are considered a rare species in Scandinavia and are one of the few animals which prey upon moose.
In addition, carrion-eating animals, such as ravens and foxes have been multiplying in Scandinavia in recent years, also a probable result of increased numbers of moose.
Biologists are worried that the higher than usual numbers of moose could adversely affect the delicate balance of the ecosystem. In particular, the animals pose a danger to the endangered plants and young trees which make up the moose’s regular diet.