Since the discovery in May of a free-ranging deer infected with chronic wasting disease in Ingham County, Michigan, the state’s Department of Natural Resources has been hard at work sampling deer from the immediate area for additional signs of the disease and putting into effect emergency precautions to prevent as much as possible spread of the disease.

So far, no additional infected animals have been found. 

Chronic wasting disease is an unusual neurological disorder that affects members of the deer family. CWD is caused by prions – mutating proteins in the animal’s nervous system – not a bacteria or virus. A form of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, similar to mad cow disease, CWD causes lesions in the brain. Infected animals exhibit uncharacteristic behavior – they lose their fear of humans, for instance – and gradually waste away. CWD has never been shown to cause illness in humans. 

The infected animal in Ingham County showed classic symptoms, said DNR veterinarian Steve Schmitt. 

“The animal was found in a subdivision in Meridian Township showing neurological symptoms, standing there, letting people approach it,” Schmitt said. “And it was thin.” 

Meridian Township police dispatched the animal and turned it over to the DNR, where it tested positive for CWD. Further testing at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed that the animal was infected. 

The DNR went right to work.  Read more

This time of year, as snakes are out and about in the great outdoors, the Department of Natural Resources gets many questions about Michigan’s snakes. Michigan is home to 18 different species of snakes, 17 of which are harmless to humans. T

here are two that are very similar and often cause a stir when people encounter them. Eastern hognose snakes, when threatened, puff up with air, flatten their necks and bodies, and hiss loudly. (This has led to local names like “puff adder” or “hissing viper.”) If this act is unsuccessful in deterring predators, the snakes will writhe about, excrete a foul-smelling musk and then turn over with mouth agape and lie still, as though dead. Despite this intimidating behavior, hog-nosed snakes are harmless to humans.

The eastern massasauga rattlesnake, the only venomous snake species found in Michigan, is quite rare and protected as a species of special concern due to declining populations from habitat loss. As the name implies, the massasauga rattlesnake does have a segmented rattle on its tail. It should not be confused with the other harmless species of snake in Michigan that do not have segmented rattles but also will buzz their tails if approached or handled.

Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes are shy creatures that avoid humans whenever possible. Also known as “swamp rattlers,” they spend the vast majority of their time in year-round wetlands hunting their primary prey, mice. When encountered, if the snake doesn’t feel threatened, it will let people pass without revealing its location. If humans do get too close, a rattlesnake will generally warn of its presence by rattling its tail while people are still several feet away. If given room, the snake will slither away into nearby brush.

Rattlesnake bites, while extremely rare in Michigan (fewer than one per year), can and do occur. Anyone who is bitten should seek medical attention immediately. To learn more about the massasauga and for more snake safety tips, visit http://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/emr/index.cfm. Read more

Three goslings in Macomb County test positive

The Michigan departments of Natural Resources (DNR) and Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) today announced the state’s first confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N2 in the state. The disease was found in free-ranging Canada geese in Macomb County. Avian influenza is a virus that can infect both free-ranging and domestic poultry such as chickens, turkeys, quail and geese. Read more

One of the key failings of the current recovery plan required by ESA is the identification of criteria required to downlist and delist this subspecies of wolves from the ESA. Without these criteria, it is impossible to ever remove Mexican wolves from endangered status.

PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department and Office of the Arizona Attorney General Monday filed suit against the secretary of the Department of Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for failing their statutory duty to develop an updated recovery plan to guide Mexican wolf recovery. The action was taken in an effort to spur development of an updated recovery plan for Mexican wolves that utilizes the best available science as legally required by the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

This action was preceded in January with a Notice of Intent, which went unanswered by the Service.

“The Service is currently in litigation with special interest groups and settlement discussions could possibly occur without our knowledge or involvement, as has occurred in previous Mexican wolf lawsuits. As the state’s wildlife authority, we will not sit on the sidelines when it comes to decisions affecting Arizona’s wildlife,” said Robert Mansell, chair of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. Read more