Black Bear Press Conference скачать в хорошем качестве

Black Bear Press Conference

BLACK BEAR HEALTH AT APPALACHIAN BEAR RESCUE Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) is a wildlife rehabilitation facility that cares for orphaned and injured black bear cubs in Townsend, Tennessee. They are permitted by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to rehabilitate bear cubs from Tennessee and surrounding states. Bears are usually returned to the wild after six to nine months as close to their original habitat as feasible. In 2023, several bears developed pneumonia; one died and two were euthanized because of the disease in this facility. Although diagnostic testing was performed, definitive cause of pneumonia was not determined. In 2024 a clinically similar disease was identified two out of five bears housed in the same enclosure as the 2023 case. While diagnostics have shown a potential pathogen, it is unclear if this microbe is a primary pathogen or if it is a combination of host, environmental and microbial factors. The affected bears have fence line contact with an additional eight animals which were potentially exposed to what may be infectious pathogen(s). Best management practices to prevent bears and other wildlife species from exposure to infectious pathogens prohibits releasing these bears into the environment. Once an infectious pathogen is introduced and becomes established in a free-ranging wildlife population it is nearly impossible to manage and from a precautionary standpoint, it is better to prevent disease introduction than address it after it is established even if the risk of disease introduction is low. TWRA leadership has been in consultation wildlife veterinarians, wildlife health and disease professionals and wildlife biologists from University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee Institute for Agriculture, National Park Service, and Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. Expert opinion is that the humane euthanasia of these 13 exposed bears is the right course of action to allow wildlife managers to prevent disease transmission, protect Tennessee’s wild bear population, and further investigate potential causes of disease. Holding these bears over winter in their current location increases their likelihood for habituation, dependence on humans, and additional stress, and would make them unsuitable for release in the spring, making it not a viable option in this case. Additional biosecurity measures will also be taken to clean the affected enclosure and protect other bears at the facility. This planning is currently underway. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is the state agency tasked with preserving, conserving, managing, protecting, and enhancing the fish and wildlife of the state and their habitats for the use, benefit, and enjoyment of the citizens of Tennessee and its visitors. The agency employs a dedicated team of wildlife biologists to monitor wildlife health and populations. In East Tennessee, black bears are abundant and actively expanding across their historic native range in Tennessee. Bears have large home ranges which can overlap into multiple states and cross paths with numerous other bears. TWRA biologists manage at the population level to ensure conservation goals are met. Press Requests: [email protected] General Questions: [email protected] Website: www.tnwildlife.org