Puget Sound Harbor Seals Help Scientists Track Pollutants
The Associated Press (Posted by The Seattle Times)
26 Sep 2006
For more than three decades, scientists have been rounding up harbor seals from Puget Sound, drawing their blood, sampling bits of blubber and running other tests to check for signs of disease. Their goal: to track how harmful concentrations of toxic chemicals are affecting the animals' health.
For researchers trying to pin down the scope and effects of toxic contamination, harbor seals perform a canary-in-a-coal-mine service, said Peter Ross, a Canadian marine mammal toxicologist, who collaborates with state fish and wildlife scientists in Washington. "They are the laboratory animal of the ocean around here," Ross said.
The sleek, spotted critters — the state's largest population of marine mammals — have helped biologists create Puget Sound's longest scientific record of pollution in aquatic animals. Over the years, scientists have found harmful concentrations of toxins like PCB, or polychlorinated biphenyl, an industrial compound that can cause cancer, in the blubber of seals.
Deaths in Juvenile Farmed Crocodiles in Northern Australia Associated
with Chlamydial Infection
ProMED - Archive Number 20060925.2737
21 Sep 2006
Ian Jerrett
Outbreaks of disease causing high mortality in farmed saltwater crocodiles on 2 properties in the Darwin region have been thoroughly investigated at the Berrimah Veterinary Laboratories. Over 3000 juveniles in the 2-5 month age group died in the period from June to August 2006.
Full necropsies were performed on 57 typically affected animals. On both farms fatally affected animals consistently had fibrinous pharyngitis and conjunctivitis with pharyngeal fibrinous exudate frequently causing death by laryngeal obstruction.
Histopathology on a wide range of tissues including conjunctiva, pharynx, liver, and spleen was performed in 32 cases.
In most animals lesions were confined to the conjunctiva, pharynx, and upper esophagus. The microscopic lesions were similar at all mucosal sites and essentially consist of lymphoplasmacytic inflammation, epithelial hyperplasia and erosion. PCR for family Chlamydiaceae was positive on specimens of conjunctiva (13/13 animals) and pharyngeal mucosa (5/5 animals) forwarded to the Tropical and Aquatic Animal Health
Laboratory, Townsville.
Rancher Vows Fight With Gov't Over ElkThe Associated Press (Posted by PHYSORG)
25 Sep 2006
Jesse Harlan Alderman
Photo Courtesy of Associated Press
When 100 farm-raised elk fled his private hunting reserve through a bear-dug hole under the fence, owner Rex Rammell - a man with a long history of locking antlers with the state - didn't realize he'd wind up in the governor's crosshairs.
But a month later, about 20 of the elk are dead, shot on sight under an emergency executive order from Gov. Jim Risch. About 40 have been recaptured and the rest are roaming the alfalfa fields and forest slopes on the fringe of Yellowstone National Park, home to the nation's largest herd of wild elk.
Risch, joined by wildlife officials, says Rammell's elk will pollute the native gene pool and spread disease. Rammell, a veterinarian who made a career of breeding trophy bull elk for wealthy hunters and a sideshow of fighting the government, says he sold his farm and his elk and would like to run against Risch for public office in four years on a campaign against government abuses.
Local Elk Rancher Defends Industry [News Report]
Fox 12 KTRV
25 Sep 2006
Rebecca Swart
It's mating season at the Black Canyon Elk ranch, where about 200 elk roam as many acres in a fenced-in homestead. Rancher Kristy Hein considers some of the animals her pets, but the majority are raised for their meat. That's why the elk are regularly tested for diseases including brucellosis, tuberculosis and chronic wasting disease (upon slaughter).
"They're tested even more often than cattle," Hein said. The northern California native believes a lot of mis-information got out after 100 farm-raised elk fled a private hunting reserve in eastern Idaho last month. You might remember, Gov. Jim Risch ordered that the escapees be shot on sight for fear that the domesticated elk would pollute the gene pool and spread disease.
But Hein says the whole situation was blown out of proportion. And she fears the incident could tarnish her industry's reputation and lead to unnecessary restrictions. "It's just not a common occurrence," Hein said. All elk ranchers are required to follow a strict set of rules formulated by the Idaho Department of Agriculture.
Wildlife Officials: Elk Equivalent of "Mad Cow Disease" a Concern in Idaho [News Report]
Fox 12 KTRV
26 Sep 2006
Rebecca Swart
Fish and Game officials are looking for four domestic elk believed to be ear-tagged and roaming near the town of Chubbuck, Idaho. It's not known where the elk came from, but it's raising more questions about the security of farm-raised elk and what could happen should they come into contact with wild elk.
This latest case comes on the heels of another high-profile escape last month. When more than 100 domestic elk took off from a hunting reserve in Eastern Idaho, Gov. Jim Risch ordered that they be shot on sight. The fear was that they might pollute the wild elk gene pool and possibly spread disease, most notably the deer and elk equivalent of mad cow disease.
There is still a lot unknown about Chronic Wasting Disease, the brain disorder that kills deer and elk. Researchers still don't know what causes it or exactly how the disease is transmitted among animals. It hasn't shown up in Idaho yet, but because of the severity of the disease, state wildlife officials aren't taking any chances.
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