File photo of moose in a Saskatchewan field. (BobLoblaw/iStock/Getty Images)

Saskatchewan expands wildlife testing to include bovine TB

CFIA probe of cattle herd finds 10 infected so far

Reading Time: 3 minutes Recent confirmed cases of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in a Saskatchewan cattle herd have led the province to expand its annual wildlife monitoring program for chronic wasting disease (CWD) to also include TB. The province each year since 1997 has asked hunters to submit heads from harvested deer, moose and elk to test for CWD. It […] Read more

A male mule deer.  Photo: kahj19/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Chronic wasting disease discovered in Manitoba

Reading Time: 2 minutes The province says there’s no evidence the first case of chronic wasting disease discovered in Manitoba is in any way linked to nearby farmed elk operations. In a media release announcing the case, officials said it was found near Lake of the Prairies as part of the province’s wildlife health surveillance program. It was in […] Read more


The U.S. National Wildlife Health Center’s map of CWD’s distribution in North America as of December 2020. (USGS.gov)

Ontario to limit imports, transport of live elk, deer

Moves meant to keep out chronic wasting disease

Reading Time: 2 minutes Moving live captive cervids such as elk, deer, moose and caribou into or within Ontario is set to be banned under new provincial regulations to keep out chronic wasting disease (CWD). The province said Thursday it has amended regulations under its Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act that will ban anyone from importing live, captive cervids […] Read more

The U.S. National Wildlife Health Center and U.S. Geological Survey in November 2017 produced this map of CWD’s current distribution in North America. (NWHC.usgs.gov)

B.C. to block hunting attractants from out-of-province

Reading Time: 2 minutes Anyone planning to hunt in British Columbia may soon be blocked from bringing in urine and other materials from other provinces’ farmed elk and cervids, in a bid to keep chronic wasting disease (CWD) in check. The provincial government recently opened a public comment period, running until Jan. 19, on a list of changes it […] Read more


Signs of CWD, as shown by this elk, include progressive weight loss, reluctance to move, excessive salivation, droopy ears, increased drinking and urinating and lethargy. (Wyoming Game and Fish Department photo, WGFD.wyo.gov)

Federal response tightened for chronic wasting disease

Reading Time: 2 minutes Canadian ranchers raising cervids such as elk, deer and moose will soon have to get in on certification programs before they can be eligible for any federal help in the event of a chronic wasting disease (CWD) outbreak. One of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) family of nervous system diseases, such as BSE in cattle […] Read more