The vampiric little pests we all hate — buzzing around our ears, biting our flesh, leaving itchy welts all over — are turning more deadly than we’ve ever seen before. In Louisiana, after Hurricane Laura swept through, swarms of mosquitoes arrived to hunt for juicy prey. And their main target has been innocent, helpless livestock. Horses and cows have tried to outrun the insects, but they’re no match for the dense swarms that descend on the animals’ bodies. The blood-sucking predators have caused so many bite-sized wounds, animals have literally bled to death.
In the few weeks since late August 2020, farmers in just a small portion of the state had lost upwards of 300 cows, scores of deer, and several horses to these mercenary insects. It isn’t an accident that mosquitoes have been congregating in states like Louisiana, Texas, and Florida after hurricanes. In the past twenty years, the problem has become worse — because of climate change. Rising sea levels, warming climes, more intense hurricanes: these are mosquitoes’ favorite things. But innocent horses, cows, and deer should not have to pay the price for human indifference and our environmental destruction. Sign the petition to demand that authorities in these states take action to save animals by addressing climate change and pledging to go carbon neutral!