Mystery origins of eerie ‘ghost moose’ revealed after horror pictures showed haggard beast stumbling through fields

THE mystery origins of an eerie mammal referred to as a "ghost moose" may have finally been revealed thanks to new images.

The haggard beast was spotted stumbling through the fields in a North Dakota wildlife management area in early May, despite being rarely seen out in the wild.

Horror pictures shared online by the state game and fish department depict how the animal has earned such a reputation – appearing bald, gray, and sickly.  

According to the department, the ghost moose are victims of an extraordinarily bad infestation of winter ticks.

Experts have noted that it’s not unusual for parasites to latch onto animals as something commonplace in the wild.  

However, winter ticks can reportedly propagate out of control under the right circumstances and cause excruciating irritation and discomfort to the animal in question.

The department noted that between 75,000 to 150,000 bloodsucking winter ticks can be found on the moose in worst cases - with the infestation considered fatal for moose calves.

Experts believe that adult moose are typically robust enough to live on and suffer from the parasites, but are unable to rid themselves of the pests.

Instead, they often try and rub themselves against trees in a desperate bid to alleviate the pain.  

As a result, a severely infested moose can rub itself bald over weeks and months – slowly transforming into a “ghost moose.”

Shocked users responded to the post online, displaying sympathy for the heart-breaking existence of the “ghost moose.”

“Poor moose, I couldn’t imagine,” one wrote, as another added: “It’s horribly sad to watch.”

A third simply said: “It makes my skin crawl.”

Following cries from officials to do something to help treat the poor animals, the department confirmed that “treating individual wildlife for issues like winter ticks generally isn’t practical.”

But, with temperatures rising, its suffering could soon end, officials say.

The department said: “Winter ticks latch on to moose in the fall, spend the winter feeding on the moose, and fall off in early spring, usually April."