Unexpected climate culprit: Wild deer farting out millions of tons of methane

Wild ruminants, such as deer and elk, are releasing unexpectedly large amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. A new study from the Max Planck Institute in Jena, Germany, estimates that these wild animals emit three million tons of methane each year.

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Wild ruminants release three million tons of methane every year.

The study analyzed animal populations and used body weight and diet estimates to calculate methane emissions. Six deer species account for more than half of these emissions, with the white-tailed deer being the biggest contributor. Even Sweden's common elk ranks second on the list, though its emissions are considerably lower than those of the white-tailed deer.

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Our common elk is far behind, but is still second on the emissions list.

Interestingly, the three million tons emitted by wild ruminants annually is comparable to the emissions from Swedish livestock. However, the study emphasizes that wild animals' contribution is still about 38 times less than that of domesticated animals and a fraction of the 600 million tons released globally each year. Methane, though a powerful warming agent, dissipates from the atmosphere much faster than carbon dioxide, earning it the nickname "emergency brake" for climate change.

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Three million tons may sound like a lot, but it is no more than what Swedish animals in Swedish agriculture release annually.