Friday, July 20, 2012

SCOTLAND NEWS: Muntjac Deer Detected

Muntjac deer might be in the process of colonizing Scotland.
A shoot-on-sight call has been issued on so-called "Asbo Bambi" in Scotland, after reported sightings of the "destructive" species. Scotland does not have an established Muntjac population, but SNH estimates that if one were to develop it would cost the country around £2m a year. The deer, originally from China, cause extensive damage to vegetation and crops, and car accidents by running out into the road. The SNH's advisor on non-native species, Stan Whitaker, described the animals as "the most destructive pests in Britain".
Source: Sky News

IOWA NEWS: First CWD Case

Chronic wasting disease has been found in a white-tail deer on a hunting preserve in southern Iowa. Officials are calling this an isolated incident. The first ones always are. Iowa has been testing for about a decade now, and this is the first confirmed case.

Iowa has tested 42,557 wild deer and over 4,000 captive deer and elk as part of the surveillance program since 2002 when CWD was found in Wisconsin.
Source: Star Tribune