Province Continues To Monitor Wildlife For CWD, Adds Testing For Bovine Tuberculosis
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing drop-off locations are open for another year, and hunters are again encouraged to submit deer, moose and elk samples.
While samples can be submitted from animals harvested anywhere in the province, the Ministry of Environment is focusing on wildlife management zones (WMZ) 2W, 9, 10, 37, 47, 50 and 55. CWD has now been detected in 60 of the province’s 83 WMZs.
“Since the province began monitoring over 25 years ago, we have seen the spread and prevalence of chronic wasting disease increase in the province,” Environment Minister Christine Tell said. “We rely on hunters submitting samples for testing so we can continue to measure and manage CWD, and we are grateful to their ongoing support in those efforts.”
This year the province will also be testing wildlife for bovine tuberculosis (bovine TB) in wildlife management zones 37 and 48 in response to detection of the disease in cattle earlier this year.