The Battle of the Bighorns: Wildlife Officials Struggle to Balance Populations, Habitat and Hunter Demand
Great Falls Tribune
08 Mar 2007
Michael Babcock
Area: Montana, USA
Wildlife managers in Montana this winter trapped and transplanted more than 200 bighorn sheep to try and keep the highly prized big game animals within population objectives. But sending Montana sheep — many of them pregnant ewes — to states like North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Utah puts the fur up on hunters and some sheep fanciers alike. "That's about 400 bighorns that won't be in Montana this fall," said Kalispell hunter Danny Moore. Moore has unsuccessfully applied for a bighorn tag for 43 years and he says hunters should be given an opportunity to harvest excess sheep.
But managing bighorn sheep is a delicate balancing act, according to both top wildlife managers at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the executive director of the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep. Too many sheep in too little habitat stresses the animals. They fall prey to diseases such as pneumonia, which can spread quickly through a herd and result in a massive die-off. Such die-offs occurred in many hunting districts throughout the state in the mid-1990s and more recently in the sheep herd in the Highland Mountains south of Butte.
Mystery Disease Kills Northwest Trek Rabbits
The News Tribune (Posted by theolympian.com)
07 Mar 2007
Kris Sherman
Area: Washington, USA
Nine pygmy rabbits died at Northwest Trek near Eatonville during during the past month as an unexplained disease swept through the endangered population. Trek officials said the deaths constituted about half of the stock, which was being bred and reared in captivity for eventual release into the wild. The cause of the rabbits' deaths is unknown, but "the situation is being handled as a highly contagious, acutely lethal disease," according to a news release. They were of normal weight and eating well before their deaths, the release said.
There "were no visible signs of distress or abnormal behavior within hours" of their deaths. The remaining rabbits were moved indoors and isolated in a clinic, where they're getting daily medical treatment. The sudden deaths canceled Trek's plans to release some of the animals into Washington's Columbia Basin later this month. Trek is one of several partners in the Pygmy Rabbit Recovery Program led by the State Department of Fish and Wildlife, the news release said.
Researchers at Acadia Trace Mercury through Forests, Streams [News Release]
The University of Maine
08 Mar 2007
Area: Maine, USA
While Acadia National Park is often perceived as remote and pristine, the park's fish, wildlife, and human visitors are vulnerable to mercury contamination that persists throughout North America. New research has documented that fish, amphibians, and even tree swallows from Acadia carry heavy burdens of mercury. Now, in a series of papers published in a special issue of the journal Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, a group of researchers from the University of Maine, Plymouth State University, the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, and Harvard University have revealed why concentrations of mercury in the environment are higher in some places than in others.
Using Acadia National Park as an "outdoor laboratory," the ten lead scientists were able to trace mercury as it moves from the sky to the mountains of Acadia, down through the forest canopy, and into streams and lakes, where it builds up in zooplankton, insects, fish and fish-eating wildlife. The research was conducted over seven years by scientists from a number of institutions, making Acadia one of the most intensively studied areas for mercury in the United States. "These research projects demonstrated that the forested landscape and its history play a role in the cycling of mercury and nitrogen through the environment. This means we need to consider land cover type when assessing contaminants like mercury in our environment," said Sarah Nelson, co-editor of the special issue and an assistant scientist at Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research at the University of Maine.
>>>FULL NEWS RELEASE
>>>FULL ARTICLE
World Zoos and Aquariums Develop Plan to Respond to the Extinction of Frogs
World Association of Zoos (Posted by sciencedaily.com)
08 Mar 2007
Amphibians are facing great threats. About one third of the 6000 frog, toad, salamander and newt species are threatened with extinction, more than 120 species have likely become extinct since 1980, and 435 species have declined into a category of greater threat during that time.
In October 2005, WAZA, The World Zoo and Aquarium Association, therefore adopted a strong resolution calling on all zoos and aquariums to respond to the global extinction crisis facing the world's frogs and other amphibians. This is part of a wider approach led by IUCN - The World Conservation Union, which encompasses also conservation measures in the field. Many factors behind the extinction of frogs are still not well understood. However, it is known today that, in some parts of the world, there is a fungus causing the quick extinction of every amphibian species throughout the range.
Experts are convinced that, in many cases, the only solution is to conserve them in zoos and aquariums with the hope that the species can be reintroduced to the wild at a later stage. This will require a massive coordinated effort, but it is a key solution in addressing the global amphibian extinction crisis. With a view to galvanising coordinated action by zoos and aquariums, experts of the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union, representatives of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and other stakeholders met from February 12 to 15 at El Valle, Panama, discussing how a global action plan should be implemented. They recommended criteria for prioritizing species and best practices for breeding facilities, and determined the capacity for rapid response.
World Association of Zoos (Posted by sciencedaily.com)
08 Mar 2007
Amphibians are facing great threats. About one third of the 6000 frog, toad, salamander and newt species are threatened with extinction, more than 120 species have likely become extinct since 1980, and 435 species have declined into a category of greater threat during that time.
In October 2005, WAZA, The World Zoo and Aquarium Association, therefore adopted a strong resolution calling on all zoos and aquariums to respond to the global extinction crisis facing the world's frogs and other amphibians. This is part of a wider approach led by IUCN - The World Conservation Union, which encompasses also conservation measures in the field. Many factors behind the extinction of frogs are still not well understood. However, it is known today that, in some parts of the world, there is a fungus causing the quick extinction of every amphibian species throughout the range.
Experts are convinced that, in many cases, the only solution is to conserve them in zoos and aquariums with the hope that the species can be reintroduced to the wild at a later stage. This will require a massive coordinated effort, but it is a key solution in addressing the global amphibian extinction crisis. With a view to galvanising coordinated action by zoos and aquariums, experts of the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union, representatives of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and other stakeholders met from February 12 to 15 at El Valle, Panama, discussing how a global action plan should be implemented. They recommended criteria for prioritizing species and best practices for breeding facilities, and determined the capacity for rapid response.
>>>FULL ARTICLE
Suffolk Cat Tests Positive for Rabies
WTKR
07 Mar 2007
Area: Virginia, USA
The Suffolk Health Department received confirmation on February 28, that a stray cat sent for testing came back positive for rabies. Three people were exposed to the stray cat, and are currently undergoing post-exposure treatment. This incident occurred off Turlington Road. This is the first positive report of rabies in Suffolk for 2007. Exposure of humans to rabies occurs when the saliva of an infected animal enters the body through an open wound or mucous membrane, such as with an animal bite.
"An animal exposure is a serious medical event, for which prompt evaluation and complete treatment is critical. Rabies is highly preventable if vaccine is given early and as recommended. Unfortunately, without preventive treatment, by the time someone develops symptoms of rabies, there is no cure and the disease is fatal in almost 100% of cases," said Dr. Lisa McCoy, MD, MPH, Health Director for the Western Tidewater Health District. The disease is also fatal in domestic dogs and cats that have not been vaccinated and have been infected.
WTKR
07 Mar 2007
Area: Virginia, USA
The Suffolk Health Department received confirmation on February 28, that a stray cat sent for testing came back positive for rabies. Three people were exposed to the stray cat, and are currently undergoing post-exposure treatment. This incident occurred off Turlington Road. This is the first positive report of rabies in Suffolk for 2007. Exposure of humans to rabies occurs when the saliva of an infected animal enters the body through an open wound or mucous membrane, such as with an animal bite.
"An animal exposure is a serious medical event, for which prompt evaluation and complete treatment is critical. Rabies is highly preventable if vaccine is given early and as recommended. Unfortunately, without preventive treatment, by the time someone develops symptoms of rabies, there is no cure and the disease is fatal in almost 100% of cases," said Dr. Lisa McCoy, MD, MPH, Health Director for the Western Tidewater Health District. The disease is also fatal in domestic dogs and cats that have not been vaccinated and have been infected.
Journal Article(s) of Interest
Role of California (Callipepla californica) and Gambel's (Callipepla gambelii) Quail in the Ecology of Mosquito-Borne Encephalitis Viruses in California, USA. (online abstract only)
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2006 Fall;6(3):248-60.
W Reisen et al.
West Nile Virus Antibody Prevalence in Red-Winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) from North Dakota, USA (2003-2004).
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2006 Fall;6(3):305-9.
H Sullivan et al.
Pathology and Tissue Distribution of West Nile Virus in North American Owls (Family: Strigidae).
Avian Pathol. 2006 Feb;35(1):17-29.
A Gancz et al.
Role of California (Callipepla californica) and Gambel's (Callipepla gambelii) Quail in the Ecology of Mosquito-Borne Encephalitis Viruses in California, USA. (online abstract only)
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2006 Fall;6(3):248-60.
W Reisen et al.
West Nile Virus Antibody Prevalence in Red-Winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) from North Dakota, USA (2003-2004).
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2006 Fall;6(3):305-9.
H Sullivan et al.
Pathology and Tissue Distribution of West Nile Virus in North American Owls (Family: Strigidae).
Avian Pathol. 2006 Feb;35(1):17-29.
A Gancz et al.
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