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COMMON WILDLIFE DISEASES
and PARASITES in
the NWT & Nunavut
General
Precautions /
If You Shoot a
Sick Animal / When
Collecting Samples
Although
most wild animals in the NWT and Nunavut are healthy, diseases and
parasites can occur in any wildlife population.
Some of these diseases can infect people or domestic animals.
It is important to keep track of wildlife diseases, so changes can
be seen and steps taken to reduce their impact.
The
information in this field guide should help hunters:
-
recognize sickness in an animal before they
shoot,
-
identify a disease or parasite in an animal they have killed,
-
know how to protect themselves from infection,
-
help wildlife agencies monitor wildlife disease and parasites.
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The
diseases in this booklet are grouped according to where they are most
often seen in the body of the animal: skin, head, lungs, liver, muscles,
general.
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Hunters should look for signs of sickness in animals before they shoot,
such as:
-
poor
condition (weak, sluggish, thin, or lame),
-
swellings
or lumps, hair loss, blood, or discharges from the nose or mouth,
-
abnormal
behaviour (loss of fear
of people, aggressiveness).
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Do not cut into diseased parts.
-
Wash
your hands, knives and clothes in hot soapy water after you finish and
disinfect with a weak bleach solution.
-
If
meat from an infected animal can be eaten, cook meat thoroughly until
it is no longer pink and juice from the meat is clear.
-
Do
not feed parts of infected animals to dogs.
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It
is important to report wildlife
diseases.
-
Wear
rubber gloves to protect yourself.
-
Place
each sample in a separate plastic bag.
-
Unless
otherwise noted, samples should be submitted frozen or kept cool.
-
Record
the following information:
-
Date
and location collected,
-
Type
of animal,
-
Sex
and estimated age of the animal
-
Description
of the sample
-
Any
other conditions that may be important (e.g.. unusual weather, signs
of a struggle).
-
The
disease form provided can be used to record your information.
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Under
the N.W.T. Wildlife Act, it is an
offence to waste, destroy, abandon or allow to spoil: the meat of big game,
other than bear, wolf or wolverine, and the raw pelt or hide of any
fur-bearing animal, including bears.
It
is also an offence to feed the meat of big game other than bear,
wolf and wolverine to domestic animals.
For more information,
contact your local Renewable Resource Officer, Regional Biologist, or the
Wildlife Disease Specialist (see Regional
Biologists page).
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