Do you ever wonder what animals do when humans aren’t looking? This one Michigan deer proved that some animals perform gymnastics in their spare time. Earlier this week, Pete Lahr out of Eaton Country, Michigan caught this acrobatic deer doing a handstand on a perfectly timed trail camera.
Check out the photo here.
This adds to the list of hilarious trail camera photos that have come out of the technology. For instance, earlier today a trail camera caught a bear living his best life coming out of hibernation. In the photo, the lazy looking black bear peeps out of his hole for the first time since winter started.
Midwest Deer Population Taking a Hit
Unfortunately for this talented deer, the spread of chronic waste disease has significantly affected the deer population in the midwest. Specifically, North Dakota has seen an unexpected spike in the disease which has affected the population.
This massive spike of the deadly disease has occurred in the past couple of years. Since 2009, wildlife officials have found that 44 deer have died from CWD. However, 30 of those cases have been within the past couple of years alone. Game and wildlife veterinarian, Charlie Bahnson says the rise is concerning.
“As we approach that exponential phase, that’s absolutely a cause for concern,” Bahnson explained. “Unfortunately, the pattern that’s been observed in other parts of the country, that rate of acceleration starts to increase.”
However, the deer population is not the only thing to suffer from this deadly disease. Other animals have also seen harsh effects of CWD. Elk, deer, and moose in 24 different states have experienced losses due to this disease. 2 Canadian provinces have also recorded cases.
“I think in a perfect world, we maybe thought we would be seeing this kind of increase many years down the road,” Bahnson continues. “It’s not unexpected, but we had hoped that it would be years and years before we reached that increase.”
Due to theses spikes, wildlife officials across the United States and Canada have paid closer attention to the disease. When different populations feel the effects of chronic waste disorder, the environment can change for years afterwords.
