Bidwell W.A., Nishi J.S., Ellsworth T.R.  2004 Bison Control Area program Annual Report of Survey Activities December 2003 - April 2004 

Abstract

Bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) and brucellosis (Brucella abortus) are endemic in bison (Bison bison) herds in and around Wood Buffalo National Park, and the adjacent Slave River Lowlands. In 1987, the Bison Control Area (BCA), along with a surveillance program, was created to minimise the risk of disease transmission to the disease-free Mackenzie and Nahanni–Liard herds in the Northwest Territories. During the 2003-2004 surveillance season, we used a Cessna 172 or 210, depending on aircraft availability in Fort Smith, NT., to fly 11 shoreline patrols along the northern boundary of the BCA on a weekly basis from 4 January 2004 to 14 April 2004. Total survey time during shoreline patrols was 30.9 hours. We used a Cessna 337 to fly one semi-comprehensive aerial survey of BCA zone І on 18 and 19 February 2004; total survey time was 10.7 hours. On the 22^nd and from the 25-29 March 2004 we used a Cessna 337 and flew a total of 36.3 hours to complete the annual comprehensive survey of BCA zones І and ІІ. In total, we flew 74.6 hours to systematically survey the BCA during the 2003 – 2004 surveillance season and did not observe any bison (or their sign, i.e., fresh tracks and/or feeding craters) within the BCA during our surveillance flights. Although we did not directly observe any attempts by bison (i.e. fresh tracks) to cross the Mackenzie River during surveillance flights, the Fort Providence Area Office received information about bison tracks across the Mackenzie River towards Meridian Island on 5 February 2004. A Renewable Resource Officer (E. Landry) followed the tracks to the south shore of Meridian Island and found that the tracks headed back to the north shore, indicating that the bison did not enter the BCA