Wildlife Disease News Digest

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Pelicans poisoned
The Leader - stgeorge.yourguide.com.au
21 Jan 2009
M Papadakis
Photo credit: Chris Lane
Area: Cooks River, New South Wales, Australia - Map It

The death of two pelicans from botulism on the Cooks River last week has wildlife rescue services worried about an outbreak of the disease. Cooks River Valley Association president Peter Munro said the poisoning deaths might be linked to a fish kill in December caused by aluminium from paint discharged into a stormwater drain. "Maggots [on dead birds], which are immune to the bacteria, get eaten by fish and birds, causing it to spread up the food chain,'' he said. A third pelican found floating on the river by Earlwood couple Juliet Barr and Peter Crutchfield is expected to die.

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Elusive search for Elusive search for Kruger crocodile die-off baffles scientists
AFP - www.afp.com
21 Jan 2009
Area: Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga, South Africa - Map It

When three rotting crocodile carcasses were spotted in a remote corner of South Africa's world famous Kruger National Park wildlife reserve, alarm bells started ringing for scientists. A quickly organised autopsy, and aerial survey, confirmed their worst fears. The giant reptiles were victims of a killer condition that had hardened their body fat to a rubber-like state, leaving them unable to move and defenceless against exposure, hunger, drowning or being eaten alive. Since the first cases were found last May, some 170 crocodiles are dead and the true death toll could be double the figure. But a team of experts are still baffled by what triggered the die-off.

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Reported Wildlife Mortality Events to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center Updated
USGS National Wildlife Health Center
21 Jan 2009
Area: United States

USGS and a network of partners across the country work on documenting wildlife mortality events in order to provide timely and accurate information on locations, species and causes of death. This information was updated on Jan 20, 2009 on the USGS National Wildlife Health Center web page, New and Ongoing Wildlife Mortality Events Nationwide. Quarterly Mortality Reports are also available from this page. These reports go back to 1995.

>>> Updated Wildlife Mortality Event Table

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Photo credit: Andy Hay/RSPB