TOP STORIES
Minnesota moose: Can they be saved? A warmer climate seems to be killing the iconic mammal. But how?
... Biologists are in a race to discover if they can save Minnesota's moose before they disappear from the state. Two years ago, researchers reported that the iconic North Woods animals appear to be succumbing to Minnesota's warming climate. Now, in a new round of studies, the scientists hope to discover whether humans can protect them from rapid ecological changes, including disease, parasites and heat stress. But if, as many fear, Minnesota is simply getting too warm, then within a few decades the moose will become just a symbol of a place that used to be.
... Moose were once everywhere in the Minnesota forest. But the latest aerial survey by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) shows their numbers have dropped from 8,000 in 2005 to fewer than 5,000 today. They are also in decline on Isle Royale and southern areas of Manitoba and Ontario.
06 Mar 2011
J Marcotty
Dead fish in Lake St. Clair area blamed on cold
Researchers said today that the long, cold winter is behind the deaths of thousands of gizzard shad found floating in Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River, Lake Erie and the St. Clair River.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment officials had samples analyzed and don't suspect a fish virus or bacterial disease as the cause.
While winter die-offs of shad aren't that unusual, residents near the lakes and river were stunned by the number of dead fish that began appearing in canals and along the shoreline.
... DNR officials had said shad collected in January showed signs of infection from viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) but eliminated it as a cause of the die-off.
11 Mar 2011
Uncontrolled disease in dogs threatens wildlife, humans in remote B.C. areas Study links unhealthy pets to decline in wolf populations
Diseases, some of which can be lethal, are being passed between dogs, wolves and people in remote B.C communities where there is a dearth of veterinary care, a new study has found.
The study by researchers from Raincoast Conservation Foundation and the University of Calgary tested dogs in five remote B.C. communities -Hartley Bay, Klemtu, Ocean Falls, Bella Bella and Oweekeno.
The diseases could threaten wolf populations and pose a human health hazard, said a report on the study, which was published in the Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research.
..."Some of the diseases we detected, notably parvovirus and distemper, can be lethal and have been linked with population declines in wildlife."
Cited Article
Exposure to infectious agents in dogs in remote coastal British Columbia: Possible sentinels of diseases in wildlife and humans. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research. 2011 Jan. HM Bryan et al.
OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED STORIES
- Area sees jump in rabies cases [North Carolina, USA]
- More VHS found in Lakes Superior and Michigan
- State wildlife officials unveil massive quail research project
- Yellowstone Foundation grants to Yellowstone Park to study wildlife and conservation
- Respiratory infection killed 8,000 S.D. mallards [follow-up]
- Gov. Schweitzer says he'll veto bans on moving disease-free bison onto state lands
- Beaked whales 'scared' by navy sonar
- Millions to turn off lights for Earth Hour
