Animal Health Committee asks USDA to Maintain Brucellosis Surveillance Program [Media Release]
R-CALF USA (Posted by North Texas e-News)
12 Dec 2006
Upon referral of a resolution from its Animal Health Committee - chaired by Missouri veterinarian Max Thornsberry - the R-CALF USA Board of Directors has adopted interim policy dealing with the continuance of the Brucellosis surveillance program. The organization also sent a formal letter to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns that outlines the organization's position.
"There is a significant problem with Brucellosis in elk and bison - particularly in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming - which is becoming a problem for independent cattle producers in those states, and potentially in adjacent states," said Thornsberry, who also serves as R-CALF USA Vice President and Region VI Director. The first part of the Animal Health Committee's resolution states that R-CALF USA supports Brucellosis testing of bison in the Yellowstone Ecosystem in an effort to eradicate the disease, but Thornsberry emphasized brucellosis is not just an issue for Western states.
Penguins Wiped Out by Mystery Illness
The New Zealand Herald
12 Dec 2006
All but one of the yellow-eyed penguin chicks hatched on Stewart Island this breeding season have died, from a mystery illness that has veterinarians scratching their heads. Massey University is investigating the cause of death which has wiped out 31 chicks aged between five and 10 days. The Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust said this year's breeding season was the worst since monitoring began four years ago, when it began its five-year research programme into the island's declining penguin population.
Disease has ravaged already-endangered yellow-eyed penguin populations for the last few breeding seasons. In 2003, several newly-hatched chicks died of a mystery illness on Stewart Island. In 2004, avian diphtheria disease killed about 50 per cent of chicks born throughout the country, except at Katiki Point, near Palmerston, where an intensive antibiotic-treatment programme resulted in only two deaths in 33 chicks.
Migratory Birds` Death Causes Concern among Wildlife Loverszeenews.com
11 Dec 2006
Photo Courtesy of zeenews.com
The death of over 80 migratory birds in Nalabana Bird Sanctuary inside the Chilika Lake during the last 18 days has sent wildlife experts and authorities in a tizzy. As many as 82 birds, 69 of them pintails, died in this period but the cause of their death is yet to be ascertained, official reports said. Other bird species- shovellers, gadwals, barheaded goose and sea eagles - were also among the dead while 277 birds were reported sick.
The deaths first came to the notice of experts in November. Last week alone, four birds were found dead, Chilika Divisional Forest officer Abhimanyu Behera told news agencies. Blood samples of dead and sick birds have been sent to the high security animal disease laboratory in Bhopal for examination.
No Chronic Wasting Disease, but Iowa Remains Vigilant
The DesMoines Register
10 Dec 2006
J Probasco-Sowers
Iowa wildlife biologists still have found no chronic wasting disease in Iowa. However, testing will continue indefinitely, with brain stems and lymph nodes being taken from Iowa deer in six eastern Iowa counties during this fall and winter's whitetail deer seasons. The second shotgun season started Saturday.
"Over the last few years in northeast Iowa we've developed a network of places to get samples by going to lockers and visiting hunters in the field during hunting seasons," said Willie Suchy, wildlife research biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources at the Chariton Research Station.
Cowboy Mentality Dominates Bison Slaughter [Editorial]
indybay.org
10 Dec 2006
G Wuerthner
The continuing bison slaughter by the Montana Department of Livestock outside of Yellowstone National Park is a demonstration of the "cowboy" mentality the industry uses to address any problem. Instead of using its brains, it resorts to brute force. If left unchallenged, I believe the industry's harsh tactics pose a threat to free roaming wildlife everywhere. When you review the facts, it is difficult to believe that minimizing the threat of brucellosis is really the motivating force behind the livestock industry's actions.
Reasonable options that could address their concerns about disease transmission are ignored in favor of deadly force. This can only be explained if the brucellosis issue is a Trojan Horse hiding another motive. Whether admitted, many in the livestock industry fear the expansion of wild bison outside of parks. Such an expansion of wild free roaming bison can only come at the expense of the livestock industry. The industry, realizing this threat, is attempting to construct a Berlin Wall around our parks, destroying any animals that wander from these sanctuaries.
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