Skunks, Moose Appearing For First Time In Canadian Arctic Villages

[hatrack]

The distinctively unpleasant odor of skunk is about the last thing you might expect to smell in the Eastern Hudson Bay community of Kuujjuaraapik. Yet Lucassie Inukpuk, the mayor of Kuujjuaraapik, has spotted several black and white skunks lurking around the town. “We’ve never seen these before,” Inukpuk said.

Skunks aren’t the only unfamiliar animals making their way up the tree line along the Great Whale River. Moose, who favour swampy, treed areas with lots of vegetation to eat, have also been seen around Kuujjuaraapik. Quebec’s department of the environment says it’s not out of the question for moose or skunks to roam as far north as Kuujjuraapik.

But multiple observations of these unfamiliar animals this past summer may be another sign of rising temperatures along the 55th parallel – similar to sightings of unfamiliar birds and insects further north.

Jerry Dragoo, a noted expert on skunks at the Univ. of New Mexico, said the skunks could have been expanding their range due to the impact of global warming on their habitat. That’s because skunks don’t like to be cold, although Dragoo said they can tolerate it. When the temperatures drop, skunks go into a deep sleep or torpor, although they will come out occasionally to feed.

EDIT

http://www.nunatsiaq.com/news/climate/60929_01.html

[nam78_two]

1. recommended/nt

[acmavm]

2. Well, when it's Moose and Squirrel look for Natasha and Boris.

I shouldn't make light of this but what the fuck? The world's biggest criminal cabal, otherwise known as the bush** administration, don't give a fat rat's ass and neither does thier corporate constituency. So what's gonna change to make things better?

[davidinalameda]

3. damn

you beat me to it!

[BlueEyedSon]

4. Me too!

[davidinalameda]

8. this reminds me of an old Brett Butler joke

she did on her show

she was sitting in on some sort of adult education class and was doing a heavy Eastern European accent

"In my country, we have it very terrible"

Other student-"The secret police"

"No, moose and squirrel"

[file83]

5. The North is melting right before our eyes. It's happening all so fast.

I remember learning that we wouldn't see the effects of global warming until 2050 or so... boy were they wrong. It's happening right NOW.

[mom cat]

9. And speeding up! We all need to do everything in our power now

to radically change our own behavior and that of our government.

[Jackpine Radical]

6. For what t's worth, similar things azre happening elsewhere.

In northern WI we're seeing opossums for the first time. Also, the invasion of deer ticks in the past 20 or 30 years was apparently abetted by climate changes.

[YankeyMCC]

7. k&r