‘Don’t call it zombie deer disease’: scientists warn of ‘global crisis’ as infections spread across the US
‘Don’t call it zombie deer disease’: scientists warn of ‘global crisis’ as infections spread across the US
The contagious, fatal illness in deer, elk and moose must be taken seriously, say experts as it takes hold in the US and reaches other countries. While it has not infected humans yet, the risk is growing
In a scattershot pattern that now extends from coast to coast, continental US states have been announcing new hotspots of chronic wasting disease (CWD).
The contagious and always-fatal neurodegenerative disorder infects the cervid family that includes deer, elk, moose and, in higher latitudes, reindeer. There is no vaccine or treatment.
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Studies show that having healthy wild carnivores on a landscape can help weed out sick CWD-carrying elk and deer, but states in the northern Rockies have adopted policies aimed at dramatically reducing wolves, bears and mountain lions.
There's a reason that carnivores and herbivores live in close proximity. Those humans who fail to recognize that will likely succumb to the first human cases of CWD.
On a side note I used to work on a couple of golf courses in northwestern Ontario. We had an infected moose show up early one fall and had to shut the course down because he just kept attacking trees all over the course. Didn't eat or drink, just fucked around with trees. Scared the shit out of us.
Poor thing’s fried brain probably thought the trees were other moose or something
Maybe. It was shortly before the rut started so that would make sense.
That's a byproduct of them living in proximity, not a reason for it.
Except humans prevented it by removing predators. That's a reason for them to return to living in proximity. There should be predators.
A reason to return them, sure, but that's not what the comment says.
Seems like that's what it was infering, given the quote above it. Like, "There's a reason they live in proximity" meaning "we shouldn't interfere with that"