Undiagnosed elk deaths – 9/2004

  • October 1, 2013 at 3:54 am #575
    Mike
    Keymaster

    from bridget – 09/24/2004′, ‘This is one of the first animal die-off mysteries that really caught my attention.

    There was a follow-up story in the Arizona Republic, which was a
    bunch of back peddeling.

    Keep in mind, Elk are one of the most hardy of creatures.
    Also note one of the Dolphin mystery deaths that I recently posted,
    was that of the saw tooth dolphine. Thee Dolphine are very deep
    water creatures, no “red Tide” could have done that devistation.

    pac-pc@yahoogroups.com
    people against chemtrails, Phoenix Chapter.
    — In pac-pc@yahoogroups.com, “bcolemanconroy2”
    <bcolemanconroy2> wrote:
    Here is something I think may well be worth watching, unexplained
    wildlife deaths. Here in Phx, we have experienced large number of
    bird die-offs. Even people who are not tuned in to CT’s, have
    expressed concern, in the Tempe area re: large number of bird
    deaths. Someone of us might want to do a search in Republic or
    Tribune archives using keyword search ie bird deaths or something
    similar. I’m just a’thinkin. Bridget

    — In chemtrailtrackingusa@yahoogroups.com, cheskaboo@a… wrote:
    Archive Number 20040228.0620
    Published Date 28-FEB-2004
    Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed deaths, cervids – USA (WY): RFI

    UNDIAGNOSED DEATHS, CERVIDS – USA (WYOMING): REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

    Date: 27 Feb 2004
    From: Sharon Minnick <slminnick>
    Source: The Denver Post [edited]
    <http>

    Unexplained elk deaths in Wyo. leave wildlife officials puzzled
    ————————————————–
    Elk are dying by the hundreds on the high, dry plains south of
    Rawlins, Wyo., puzzling veterinarians who suspect some kind of poison is to
    blame.

    In the last 3 weeks, about 275 elk, mostly breeding-age cows in
    prime condition, have been found either dead or paralyzed in a 3-square-
    mile area just north of the Colorado border.

    “They go to lie down, and then they can’t get up,” Wyoming Game and
    Fish Department spokesman Tom Reed said Thursday. “Their heads are up and
    they bark at you when you approach. But they can’t move.”

    State biologists are euthanizing the stricken animals and have
    examined about a dozen carcasses in an attempt to find the cause of the
    deaths.

    Whatever is killing the elk has yet to affect the horses, cows,
    calves, and antelope observed in the area. Scavengers like coyotes, ravens, or
    magpies that are feeding on the carcasses also appear to be immune.

    “Elk are the tough guys of our big- game species, and here’s
    something that’s targeting them and taking them out,” Reed said.

    State wildlife veterinarians have already ruled out diseases such as
    chronic wasting disease, worms, or paralyzing bacteria sometimes
    carried by ticks.

    Instead, they are focusing on natural or man-made toxins as the most
    likely cause of the die-off.

    “There’s a railroad, a coal-bed methane project, and oil and gas
    wells in the area,” Reed said, adding that some local plants, particularly
    greasewood and Russian thistle, also contain compounds that can be
    toxic to wildlife. “We’re looking at everything.”

    But pathologists are quickly narrowing their search. Tests have
    ruled out salt poisoning, insecticides, fertilizers, sulfates, and heavy
    metals including arsenic, selenium, and thallium.

    Reed said game officers will attempt to transport several of the ill
    animals to the state wildlife research station in Sybille, Wyo., for
    further study. Meanwhile, the agency is asking that people avoid
    the area.

    Mass die-offs of wildlife are not uncommon in severe Wyoming
    winters, but this one has been mild, biologists say.

    In 1983, 700 antelope died in the same area after a strong snowstorm
    pushed them up against an illegal, 28-mile chain-link fence erected by a
    local rancher. The incident outraged wildlife lovers and led to a federal
    court order banning such hazards.

    This is the biggest non-winter-related wildlife die-off that anyone
    can remember, Reed said.

    The area’s rolling plain of sagebrush and greasewood provides
    critical winter range for elk and antelope, said Steve Torbit, a wildlife
    biologist with the National Wildlife Federation. The conservation group
    successfully sued to have the rancher’s fence removed.

    “It’s really strange that this is happening exactly where we had
    that battle,” Torbit said.

    [Byline: Theo Stein]


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