Tests show that a moose that was euthanized by state Department of Fish and Wildlife officials had lungworm at the time of his death.
Col. Robert Rooks of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, says the moose also had consumed orange and banana peels, which may have made him sick.
The young bull moose had taken up residence in a small apple orchard in Rochester and attracted a crowd of sightseers. He was euthanized last month after he collapsed and stopped eating.
Rooks says sightseers had fed him fruit, oats and doughnuts, and he couldn’t digest those food.
Lungworm can cause bronchitis or pneumonia.
Rooks says the carcass also will be examined to determine if the moose had brain worm, which can cause an animal to lose its fear of humans.