Unusually high number of horseflies and wasps observed during a year with temperatures and precipitation levels above normal.

A dead hare was observed in Interior Alaska that was infested with a native species of tick. Wildlife officials are asking residents to keep an eye out for ticks on pets and for signs of tick infestation in large mammals, such as hair loss in moose.

The animals didn't necessarily become sick, researchers said, but were encountering the new pathogens much more frequently.

The state Department of Fish and Game is warning pet owners in the Interior and Southcentral Alaska about a recent spike in reports of tularemia – sometimes called “rabbit fever.”