A flesh-eating fly might sound like something from a horror movie, but the New World screwworm is very real—and it has conservationists and ranchers on high alert. After the U.S. halted cattle trade with Mexico last week to stop its spread, wildlife groups are warning that this parasite could do serious damage to big game herds, especially deer and bighorn sheep. Past outbreaks have wiped out wildlife in places like Florida and Texas, and with the latest cases creeping north, experts are calling for rapid action–like emergency funding. The fear is that this tiny bug could unravel decades of wildlife restoration and hit both the food supply and wild ecosystems hard.
Read the full story at the Field and Stream website here.
Photo credit: Photos Courtesy Wild Sheep Foundation and National Deer Association
