Grizzly. Courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Canada:
Alberta 07/29/11 globalmontreal.com: by Valerie Berenyi – For the first time in a national park, Parks Canada has mandated that until Sept. 15 hikers on the popular Lake Minnewanka Trail in Banff National Park must travel in a tight group of four or more with at least one person must carry bear spray at all times. “We want to reduce the potential for another bear attack in that area and we want people to understand just how serious the situation is if 
they choose to go hiking there,” says Steve Michel, a human-wildlife specialist with mountain park. The maximum fine for not complying is $25,000 under the National Parks Act.
Earlier this month, a Danish mother and her 13-year-old son came within a few steps of a grizzly sow and her cubs on a trial near the Aylmer Pass. The sow shooed her cubs up a tree and rose on her hind legs; the tourist mom tucked her son behind her, spoke softly and backed away slowly. The two mothers regarded one another briefly, then went in opposite directions with their offspring. The visitors relished their encounter, but it could have been a disaster.
There were serious bear attacks near Alymer Pass in 2001 and 2005. Kim Titchener, director of Bow Valley WildSmart Community Program, a Canmore-based non-profit organization that seeks to reduce human-wildlife conflict, applauds Parks Canada for making bear spray mandatory in such areas: “There is absolute proof that this product is effective. Research has shown that.” A study published in 2008 in the Journal of Wildlife Management looked at the efficacy of bear spray as a deterrent involving grizzly, black and polar bear encounters in Alaska from 1985 to 2006. In 72 cases where people sprayed bears to defend themselves, 98 per cent walked away uninjured.
ABOUT BEAR SPRAY
- Bear spray contains one per cent oleoresin capsicum derived from cayenne pepper and is sold at outdoor suppliers.
- Choose a bear spray with a minimum weight of 225 grams, a spray range of at least five metres and a clearly visible expiry date (canisters last about three years).
- Read the manufacturer’s instructions and familiarize yourself with using it.
- Never spray bear pepper spray on camping gear, tents and backpacks to repel bears. Once the volatile components have broken down, pepper residue will actually attract bears.
- Carry the spray in a holster within easy reach (not in your pack) in case of a surprise encounter while hiking, sleeping in your tent, cooking and generally out and about in bear country. Keep the safety clip on at all times, removing only if in an encounter with a bear.
- Once sprayed, bear spray forms a big cloud that causes intense discomfort, burning and swelling of the eyes, nose and lungs, giving you time to leave the area. It doesn’t cause permanent damage to bears or humans.
Recent reports show bear pepper spray to be more effective than a firearm in diverting or stopping a charging bear.
- But bear spray is your last defence. The best defence is to avoid an encounter by hiking in a tight group of at least four people, making lots of noise and being alert for signs of bears (diggings, scat, tracks, overturned rocks and logs). Leash dogs at all times. Keep campsites clean and odour free; cook and store food and toiletries at least 50 metres downwind from your tent.
- In most cases, bears will do their best to avoid people. Most encounters happen because bears are surprised by people, or are defending their cubs or a kill.
Wisconsin 07/29/11 leadertelegram.com: by Joe Knight – When chronic wasting disease was detected in southwestern Wisconsin about 10 years ago, it put the skids on plans to establish a wild elk herd in the forests of Jackson County. Health officials were reluctant to move deer or elk across state lines or to bring animals in from Canada. At the time there was no way to test live deer or elk for the disease. The test required examining a slice of brain tissue. Now tests have been developed for deer and elk that may allow state-to-state transfers while ensuring the animals being transferred are disease-free, wildlife officials say. About 150 elk have been transferred from Kentucky, which has an elk population of about 10,000, to Missouri, which is trying to establish an elk herd, said Laine Stowell, an elk researcher in Wisconsin. Virginia also has expressed an interest in getting some Kentucky elk to start a herd, he said.
Michele Windsor, state Department of Natural Resources wildlife manager in Jackson County, said there is strong local support for bringing elk to the county, including the Jackson County Wildlife Fund and area chapters of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. There also are preliminary discussions involving DNR officials and state legislators about bringing elk to Jackson County and the Clam Lake herd. However, importing elk into Wisconsin won’t necessarily be easy. It would probably take new legislation or a special exemption from the state’s current wasting disease laws to allow bringing elk from outside states to Jackson County, Windsor said. The new live tests still aren’t as reliable as the “gold standard” test, which requires a slice of the animal’s brain. That test is accurate 99 of 100 times, she said. It may be possible, with new legislation, to bring in elk from another state, such as Kentucky, that never has had wasting disease or bovine tuberculosis in elk or deer, Windsor said.
Hunters in Kentucky, which now has an elk hunting season, are not necessarily keen on parting with more of their elk, she said. But Wisconsin officials remain hopeful, and the Jackson County area has good elk habitat, with a mix of forests and open spaces. “There’s definitely strong grass-roots interest that exists and is still very active,” she said of importing elk to Wisconsin. If elk aren’t brought to Jackson County from outside the state, they could be moved here from the Clam Lake herd once that population reaches 200. But Stowell said it would be better for the genetics of Wisconsin elk to bring in animals from outside the state. (For complete article go to http://www.leadertelegram.com/news/features/getting_out/article_3cdf924a-b9a2-11e0-9219-001cc4c002e0.html )
Wyoming 07/30/11 jhnewsandguide.com: by Kevin Huelsmann – In spite of protests from Teton County commissioners, Gov. Matt Mead is moving ahead with a wolf management agreement with federal officials that would allow the unregulated killing of wolves in part of Teton County for several months a year. In a letter sent to Mead earlier this month, commissioners said allowing the unregulated killing of wolves ignores the values of county residents and could put Teton County’s image and reputation at risk. Mead, however, has not ceded any ground on the issue. “It’s too late to include that,” Mead’s spokesman, Renny Mackay, said Friday. “It’s nothing that the governor or [U.S.] Fish and Wildlife Service have ever talked about.” Mead is “very close” to wrapping up the terms of the deal with federal officials and needed to keep moving to ensure the negotiations end successfully, Mackay said. 
Commissioners objected to unregulated killing, or predator status, that would allow wolves to be killed at any time by any means. “If we don’t get this issue resolved as part of this settlement, I think it will be a terrible stain on the reputation and image of the county,” commissioner Hank Phibbs said Friday. Phibbs spoke with the governor Thursday and commissioners sent a letter to him earlier this month, both times pushing to have the predator line moved.
Teton County, Wyoming
Earlier this month, Mead and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar outlined a pending plan in which wolves would be designated as predators in the county south of Highway 22 for parts of the year. Predator status would allow unregulated killing of the animals. In the rest of the county, save national parks and refuges where they would be protected, wolves would be considered trophy game and hunted only according to state seasons. (For complete article go to http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=7563 )
Feral dog fight. Fayetteville, NC
North Carolina 07/30/11 fayobserver.com: by James Halpin – Fear of a rabies outbreak in Cumberland County has prompted Animal Control officials to take “extraordinary measures” to catch and kill dozens of feral pack dogs that have been attacking pets and wildlife with increasing regularity. Animal Control has hired a Fayetteville company to help trap or kill what officials hope will be 60 dogs in the next month. Officials said they want to prevent an “imminent public health hazard” if rabies spreads 
through the estimated 10 packs of dogs running wild throughout the city. Animal Control Director Dr. John Lauby said concerns about rabies grew more severe this week with reports of pack dogs attacking a fox and two raccoons in the Raeford Road area near Perdue Drive and Forsythe Street and in the 300 block of Abbottswood Drive off Ramsey Street. (For complete article go to http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2011/07/29/1111986?sac=Home )
Hamilton County
Allen County
Indiana 07/29/11 wlfi.com: Indiana health officials said they are seeing the first signs of West Nile virus in the state this year. The Indiana Department of Health said Thursday mosquitoes in Hamilton and Allen counties have tested positive for the disease, which could put people at higher risk for infection. More than 20 Indiana residents have died from West Nile virus since 2002. The virus was found in 54 of Indiana’s 92 counties last year and one person died.
Marion County
Indiana 07/29/11 wishtv.com: The West Nile Virus has been found in mosquitoes in Franklin and Center townships, the Marion County Public Health Department announced Friday. The virus carrying mosquitoes were discovered in traps used to monitor the local mosquito population. There have been no reports of illness from West Nile Virus in Marion County in 2011. In 2010, there were three confirmed cases and no reported deaths. Since 2002, five people have died and 50 have fallen ill with the virus.
Massachusetts 07/30/11 patch.com: by Christy Aumer – A mosquito sampled in Tisbury has tested positive for West Nile Virus, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) has said. The infected mosquito was collected from a trap on July 25. Despite the finding, the MDPH continues to list the risk of contracting West Nile Virus on Martha’s Vineyard as remote. West Nile Virus is a mosquito-carried illness that can cause a number of maladies, ranging from mild fever to encephalitis or meningitis. While the virus can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe disease, said the MDPH. There were seven cases of West Nile Virus in Massachusetts residents last year.
Massachusetts 07/29/11 boston.com: by Kay Lazar – The season’s first Eastern equine encephalitis-bearing mosquitoes have been detected in Bridgewater, Massachusetts public health officials said yesterday. The news comes a day after officials elevated the health risk posed by West Nile virus, another mosquito-borne disease, in Boston and in Brookline, after more samples of infected bugs were found in those communities. The batch of Bridgewater mosquitoes with EEE was collected July 19, officials said. No people have been infected with either virus this year, but last season was an especially active summer for encephalitis. One Massachusetts resident was infected with EEE in 2010, as well as a Rhode Island resident who, officials believe, was probably exposed to the virus in Massachusetts. The threat of further infections was so high last year that disease trackers led large-scale aerial spraying to beat back the mosquito populations in Bristol and Plymouth counties. EEE is a serious disease that can be deadly, while West Nile infection is generally problematic in people over 50. More information can be found on the Department of Public Health website. 
Information is also available by calling 866-627-7968.
Massachusetts 07/28/11 universalhub.com: by adamg – The Boston Public Health Commission today added Roslindale to the list of neighborhoods where mosquitoes have tested positive for the (West Nile) virus, which doesn’t pose much of a threat to most people. West Roxbury and Dorchester had already yielded virus-laden mosquitoes; the commission says new sampling in those two neighborhoods showed more germy bugs.
Mason Valley
Nevada 07/29/11 recordcourier.com: The first mosquito pool to test positive for West Nile virus so far this year is in Mason Valley, the Nevada Department of Agriculture’s Animal Disease and Food Safety Laboratory announced today. Until today, the 847 samples from statewide surveillance submitted to the laboratory at the Nevada Department of Agriculture’s Sparks Office since February of this year, all samples, including birds and horse samples have been negative.
Oswego County
New York 07/29/11 syracuse.com: by James T. Mulder – Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a potentially deadly virus, has been detected in mosquitoes in Oswego County. The Oswego County Health Department announced today the virus was found in two pools of mosquitoes collected during the week of July 15. One sample was collected at Toad Harbor/Big Bay Swamp in West Monroe and the other was taken from the northeast section of the town of Palermo. The samples were sent to the state Health Department’s lab near Albany for testing. Dr. Dennis Norfleet, Oswego’s public health director, said there is no need to spray at this time because mosquito populations are much lower than they were last year at this time because of this summer’s dry weather. Although the EEE virus is rare, it is one of the most serious mosquito-borne diseases. About one-third of people infected with the virus die. Most survivors suffer significant brain damage. An Onondaga County resident infected with EEE died last year and an Oswego County resident died of EEE in 2009. The Onondaga County Health Department announced Thursday West Nile virus, another mosquito-borne disease, was detected in mosquitoes collected in a trap July 20 on Midler Avenue in Syracuse. West Nile can cause serious illness and in some cases death.
New Hanover County
North Carolina 07/29/11 wwaytv3.com: New Hanover County Health Department encourages people to protect themselves from mosquito bites and the risk of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). Recent testing in the local sentinel chicken flock confirmed a positive sample of EEE in New Hanover County. This raises concerns about the mosquito-borne disease making its way into the human and equine populations. Human incidence of EEE is rare, but it is a dangerous disease. “There is no cure and no vaccine for people available right now, so people need to protect themselves by preventing mosquito bites,” stated David Rice, New Hanover County Health Director. The young and elderly populations are at greatest risk. Survivors of EEE infections may suffer from long-term brain damage. Therapy is limited to treating the symptoms of the disease, as there is no specific cure and no available vaccine for humans. Horse cases are almost always fatal. A preventive vaccine is available, and effective for horses if administered before the animal is bitten by infected mosquitoes.
Pennsylvania 07/29/11 pennlive.com: by Matt Miller – The mid-state is proving to be the hot spot in Pennsylvania for the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus, although no cases of human infection have been reported in the state this year. Dauphin County officials today reported finding two new groups of infected insects in Middle Paxton and South Hanover townships, bringing the county’s total to 10 to date. That is far behind the 30 reports logged in York County — the most for any Pennsylvania county — the 21 in Lebanon County and the 18 in Cumberland County. Only one clutch of infected insects has been found in Perry County. There have been more than 200 reports of the virus in 33 of the 67 counties, almost all involving mosquitoes.
New York 07/29/11 wptz.com: Public health officials in Essex County, New York, have confirmed a raccoon found in Westport was rabid. The raccoon found in Barksdale Road is the third confirmed case (of rabies) in Essex County, said public health officials. The first reported case was a fox in Keeseville on Dugway Road and the second was also a raccoon found on White 
Church Road in Crown Point.
Pennsylvania 07/29/11 patch.com: Allegheny County will begin distributing raccoon bait containing rabies vaccines throughout the area on Aug. 15. Employees with the Allegheny County Health Department will be seen distributing the bait by hand, on foot and from vehicles in all of the county’s municipalities. Two types of bait will be used: one in which a vaccine contained in a plastic sachet is enclosed in fish-meal pellets and a second in which the plastic sachet is coated with fish-oil scent. The vaccine, when consumed by the raccoons, helps them to develop antibodies to the rabies virus. The baits pose no threat to humans or pets, according to the health department. Aerial baiting drops may include parts of rural Allegheny County and are scheduled to begin on Sept. 5. The Oral Rabies Vaccination Project is conducted by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the Erie County Department of Health, the Allegheny County Department of Health, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services.
Wisconsin 07/29/11 wausaudailyherald.com: The Marathon County Health Department is looking for a dog that bit a woman on Wausau’s east side. The incident happened in the 900 block of Steuben Street, according to a news release. The dog was described as a light-colored chow chow. The news release did not say when the bite occurred or the severity of the woman’s injuries. Health department officials do not know the status of the dog’s rabies vaccinations and the woman might have to undergo a series of rabies shots. Anyone with information about this dog should call the health department at 715-261-1908, Marathon County Sheriff’s Dispatch Center at 715-261-7785, or the Humane Society of Marathon County at 715-845-2810.
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