rare myotis species, found in only a few counties in southeast Virginia, may be affected by WNS. Source: Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Northwest Canada
Northwest
Western
Central Mountains and Plains
Northeast North Central
Southeastern Southwest
North America
News and events affecting wildlife and wildlife professionals from across North America Southeastern Florida—The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission developed a plan to excavate approximately 700 sea turtle nests—most of them threatened loggerheads (Caretta caretta)—from beaches along the Gulf of Mexico to Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. Rescue personnel had to carefully collect the eggs by hand and place them in sand-filled containers. FedEx drivers then transported the containers in air-conditioned FedEx trucks 500 miles east to a temperature-controlled warehouse at the Space Center. As hatchlings emerge, rescue teams release them along Florida’s east coast, where the turtles can swim into the Atlantic Ocean without encountering oil. Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife
Oregon—Biologists with USDA’s Wildlife Services recently used carbon dioxide to euthanize 109 nuisance Canada geese (Branta canadensis) after the birds layered a local park in Bend with goose droppings. The meat from the birds was served at local food banks. Growing populations of Canada geese in the region have been a cause for concern for several years, leading park district officials to try several non-lethal measures to disperse the geese, including hazing, paintball guns, the use of dogs, and other scare tactics—all to little or no avail. The problem is costly: In 2009, officials in the Bend Parks and Recreation District spent $22,000 on goose-related clean-ups and maintenance. Source: Bend Parks and Recreation District Washington—Police officers and biologists with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife were recently forced to remove 10 black bears (Ursus americanus) from Long Beach Peninsula, where the animals had become habituated after being routinely fed. A resident notified authorities, complaining of a high concentration of bears in the neighborhood. Investigations revealed that most of the bears were fed by one resident, who had spent approximately $4,000 in one year on dog food for the wild animals. Of the 10 bears, officials had to euthanize five that were dangerously habituated to people and therefore couldn’t be effectively relocated. The meat from the euthanized bears was donated to a neighborhood food program, and the remaining five bears were relocated to the Mount Rainier area. Source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
Virginia—The southeastern myotis bat (Myotis austroriparius) may be the latest victim of white-nose syndrome (WNS), a deadly fungus that has killed nearly one million bats across the eastern United States and in parts of Canada. In May, biologists with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation captured an infected myotis bat in Virginia’s Pocahontas State Park. The bat—which died soon after its capture—tested positive for Geomyces destructans, a fungal agent that causes skin infections in bats affected with WNS. Biologists are carrying out additional tests to determine whether this
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The Wildlife Professional, Fall 2010
Credit: USFWS/ Strawser
Rescue personnel at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge carefully move a sea turtle nest, located too close to the water, out of harm’s way. A few days later, personnel began the process of relocating nearly 70,000 turtle eggs from beaches along the Gulf of Mexico over to Florida’s east coast, where the hatchlings could be safely released.
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