ELK DEATHS NOW OVER 250

[BearHunter]

RAWLINS -- The mysterious deaths of elk southwest of Rawlins continue to rise as officials from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department search a rugged 20 square mile area southwest of here. As of Wednesday, Feb. 25, the death toll stood at 275 elk, of which only a few are bulls. Most are cows and calves in good condition.

“At this point, it looks like infectious disease is unlikely and for that reason we are more suspicious of toxins,” said Walt Cook, wildlife veterinarian with G&F. The Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory and G&F veterinarians are working to narrow the potential causes of death. All of the elk exhibit similar symptoms, particularly the inability to move.

The discovery of dying elk was initially reported to the department on Feb. 8 when a coyote hunter found two elk approximately 15 miles from Rawlins that were alive, but unable to move. Since that time, officials have found dozens of dead and dying elk using an airplane and searching the area on foot and four-wheelers.

“They are alert, but they just have no strength,” said Kent Schmidlin, Lander region wildlife supervisor. “When we find them, they are lying down on the ground, but they can’t get up, almost like they are paralyzed in their lower extremities.”

About ten of the dead elk are being analyzed in the state vet lab to determine the cause of death and all avenues are being explored. Tissue, rumen, plant, soil and water samples have been taken to try to explain the bizarre die-off.

“Right now, we are asking folks to stay out of the area so we can do our investigation and find out what is killing these elk,” said Joe Nemick, the lead wildlife biologist in the region. The dying elk are in elk hunting unit 108.

 

[subfan]

Let's hope they find the cause and get it in check quick.

 

[MNTNMAN]

It's just too weird. I think there almost has to be fowl play, but by who?

 

[Sporty]

I was talking this over with my boss and he'd bet me $5 that there was an old meth lab in the area. Did I bet him? Hell no, I didn't want lose my money.
Good Luck to all,
Sporty

 

[spectr17]

Elk deaths remain a mystery

Brett Prettyman, Salt Lake City Tribune

February 28, 2004

Wyoming Game and Fish employees Greg Hiatt, left, district wildlife biologist, and Brad Meyer inspect an elk carcass, part of a mysterious mass die-off of the big animals near Rawlins, Wyo. (Wyoming Game and Fish)

Wyoming Game and Fish officials have ruled out chronic wasting disease, some insecticides and several other possible reasons for the mysterious deaths of 275 elk in an area 15 miles south of Rawlins, Wyo.

The Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory also eliminated salt, nitrate and sulfate poisoning as possible causes for the mass die-off.

"There are still many potential causes to investigate," Walt Cook, a wildlife veterinarian for Wyoming Game & Fish said in a statement released by the state agency Friday. "We are working feverishly so we can identify the cause and hopefully address the situation in the field to keep more elk from dying."

Also ruled out are bacterial and common viral infections, tick paralysis and meningeal and carotid artery worms. Lead and mercury poisoning, selenium toxicity and many of the common plant toxins have also been dismissed as possible culprits.

"Toxins of some sort still seem to be the most likely cause, but every possible cause is being examined," Cook said. "Preliminary tests on four water sources have not revealed anything that would cause these signs in elk."

The animals all show the same symptoms, chiefly the inability to move. The next step is to catch animals still alive and take them to the lab for observation and treatment.

A coyote hunter made the initial report to wildlife officials on Feb. 8 after finding two live elk unable to move.

 

[BearHunter]

2/27/2004

RAWLINS – Laboratory tests and analysis have conclusively ruled out several causes, including chronic wasting disease, some insecticides and a variety of metals, in the mysterious deaths of elk southwest of Rawlins. Through Thursday afternoon, Feb. 26, the death total had grown to 275.

The work being done by the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory and Game and Fish Department has also eliminated poisoning from salt, nitrates and sulfates.

“There are still many potential causes to investigate,” said Walt Cook, G&F wildlife veterinarian. “We are all working feverishly, so we can identify the cause and hopefully address the situation in the field to keep more elk from dying.”

Some outside laboratories, with specific capabilities in potential causes, are also being contracted to help with the project.

The WSVL has also eliminated bacterial and common viral infections, tick paralysis and meningeal and carotid artery worm as causes. In addition the lab has ruled out lead and mercury poisoning, selenium toxicity and many of the common plant toxins.

“Toxins of some sort still seem to be the most likely cause, but every possible cause is being examined,” Cook said. “Preliminary tests on four water sources have not revealed anything that would cause these signs in elk.”

All of the elk exhibit similar signs, particularly the inability to move. Some animals have lesions on their hind leg muscles, but veterinarians believe the sore muscles are the result of being down for extended periods.

If suitable animals are located, the G&F is going to attempt to transport some ailing elk to the state vet lab for treatments not practical in the field.

The discovery of dying elk was initially reported to the department on Feb. 8 when a coyote hunter found two elk approximately 15 miles from Rawlins that were alive, but unable to move. Since that time, officials have found dozens of dead and dying elk using an airplane and searching the area on foot and four-wheelers.

“They are alert, but they just have no strength,” said Kent Schmidlin, Lander region wildlife supervisor. “When we find them, they are lying down on the ground, but they can’t get up, almost like they are paralyzed in their lower extremities.”

About ten of the dead elk are being analyzed in the state vet lab to determine the cause of death and all avenues are being explored. Tissue, rumen, plant, soil and water samples have been taken to try to explain the bizarre die-off.

 

[BearHunter]

AFFLICTED RAWLINS ELK TRANSPORTED TO STATE VET LAB

3/2/2004

RAWLINS -- Four live elk displaying the loss of leg muscle control that has caused the death of 280 elk southwest of Rawlins since Feb. 8, have been transported to Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory in Laramie.

Game and Fish Department veterinarians hope they can gain insight into the mysterious malady from observing how the afflicted elk respond to various treatments.

On Sunday, one cow elk was transported by all-terrain-vehicle to a stock trailer and then driven to Laramie. Two cows and one young bull were transported by helicopter to the stock trailer for the drive to the laboratory on Monday.

The weekend’s aerial survey work was hampered by inclement weather.

The WSVL and the G&F continue to direct all available resources to trying to determine the cause for elk deaths.

The discovery of dying elk was initially reported to the department on Feb. 8 when a coyote hunter found two elk approximately 15 miles from Rawlins that were alive, but unable to move. Since that time, officials have found dozens of dead and dying elk using an airplane and searching the area on foot and four-wheelers.

 

[bzzboyz]

Elk could have been run to death
By CANDY MOULTON
Star-Tribune correspondent Thursday, March 04, 2004




ENCAMPMENT -- Wildlife experts are starting to think a herd of elk south of Rawlins was literally run to death.

The cause of the massive elk die-off 15 miles south of Rawlins remains undetermined, but state wildlife experts are focusing on toxins or the possibility that excessive running and stress led to the paralysis that has affected 280 animals, which either died or were killed by wildlife managers.

Dr. Walt Cook of the Wyoming State Veterinary Lab in Laramie said two elk thought to be suffering early symptoms of the paralysis that affected those that died were killed by game officials on Monday and necropsies have been performed. Results of the necropsy are not expected until later this week.

One of the elk was "showing very early signs" of the mystery disease, Cook said, because although it was "still able to walk and run a little bit" the animal seemed to have difficulty moving its hindquarters.

The state vet lab pathologist will evaluate the muscle tissue from the affected animals to determine whether "it is a primary muscle lesion that causes them to go down" or if they are developing a secondary muscle lesion after they are already immobilized, Cook said.

If the results show that the muscle lesions are "primary," then researchers will lean more heavily toward the theory that the elk were "somehow stressed or ran in some way," Cook said.

Severe stress or long distance running can affect an animal's muscles, leading to the kind of paralysis noted in the animals that have died, he said. Should the necropsy show that the lesions are secondary -- caused after the animal is already partially down -- such a theory will move into the "unlikely" category of causes.

However, the idea that the elk suffered and died as a result of stress or long distance running "kind of fits," Cook said.

He said wildlife researchers first recognized the effects of running and stress on elk when they "unknowingly ran them too hard" while conducting various research projects. In those cases, the animals which had been run hard would collapse and die a week or so after the initial period of stress.

Many other kinds of reasons for the elk illness and death have been ruled out, including natural poisoning by nitrates, salt and metals. But, Cook said, "We still have the one common lesion that we're finding in these (dead elk) is muscle degeneration." As a result it is "becoming more and more likely" that the elk deaths are related to running or stress and not to toxins, he said.

Wildlife managers have found no evidence that people in motor vehicles chased the elk, nor is there any evidence that they were harassed by wolves or other predators. It would be "unusual for wolves to run them this far to cause this problem," Cook said. Further, "we would have expected wolves to have gotten one of them" and there is no evidence of any predation injuries or deaths.

Officials have no way to know if the animals might have been frightened and run by airplanes or helicopters flying in the area, he said.

Even so, a number of other possibilities still exist and are also being investigated.

Some types of livestock feed supplements "can cause this kind of syndrome," Cook said, but he noted that "seems relatively unlikely" because of the amount of supplement the animals would need to consume to feel such effects and the lack of evidence in the field of any actual supplements.

Not yet ruled out, but considered unlikely, are poisons such as Compound 1080, which has not been used legally for many years, and strychnine, which is not "very likely" because of the amount needed to cause such reaction in so many elk, Cook said.

Common plants that can cause such symptoms have been ruled out, but other plants remain a possible source, as does the "very unlikely" disease known as tick paralysis.

Four different water sources, including an artesian well that was "suspicious" because of its location in the center of the outbreak, and water associated with oil drilling activities, have been tested and found to be safe for animals, Cook said.

The elk in the area have moved into more remote areas, making monitoring more difficult, Cook said. Based on helicopter monitoring conducted Monday, he said, "I think the worst of it is over."

Wildlife managers have also captured four live elk from the herd affected by the die-off, and those animals are now being monitored to determine how they respond to various treatments to see if vitamin deficiencies are causing the illness and deaths.

The four elk -- three cows and one young bull -- were moved by helicopter from the herd area and then transported in a stock trailer to Laramie on Sunday and Monday.

The first elk deaths were reported by coyote hunters on Feb. 8.

 

[AlfaWolf]

I'm not from up that way but have driven by it enough to know there's a lot of fuel and gas industry stuff up in that neck of the woods. Wonder if they got some run off or something up there??? Gotta be some environmental thing... I'm not PETA member but I do worry about what industry does to game and the environment a lot.

 

[threeforks]

This was in yesterdays Casper Star Tribune.
More elk die of mystery illness



rmfon

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) - Three of the four elk brought to the Wyoming State Laboratory with a mystery illness have died.

The elk were collected last week near Rawlins where some 280 others had died of an ailment scientists have yet to pinpoint. The ailment leaves the elk unable to move around.

The four elk brought to the lab alive were treated with various vitamins, antibiotics and minerals. None responded to treatment. One elk died, and two others were euthanized by staff, lab officials said.

Scientists are collecting plant samples from the area to determine if a toxin may be a culprit.


AP-WS-03-09-04 1558EST

 

[dreaminhogs]

I'm not buying this

( experts are starting to think a herd of elk south of Rawlins was literally run to death.)

 

[taziwac]

I agree. If we were talking a dozen or all found at the same time, maybe. But close to 300 hundred elk all being "run to death?" Doesn't make sense. My money is on what they are eating. Especially because the ones that they brought in for observation died as well. If EXTREME fatigue was the issue, why wouldn't rest being fad and watered clear that up?

There's something else going on here.

 

[bhfury]

Keep us posted guys....

 

[threeforks]

This is from Walter Cook, to the state game and fish commision.
Epidemiology of Red Rim Elk Die-Off
Updated 10 March 2004


1. Case Definition: Elk with progressive weakness. They are usually down (typically in sternal recumbence) and unable to rise.

2. All cases have been found southwest of Rawlins (I-80 exit 201) in the Red Rim habitat area.

3. An epidemic has occurred. There are 290 confirmed cases. We continue to find new cases, but the number is slowing down.

4. The first cases were documented on or shortly before 6 February 2004 and continue to the present (25 February 2004). They have all been found in the Red Rim area (10-15 square miles) south west of Rawlins, WY. On 21 Jan 2004, 400 head of healthy elk were found in area feeding in the area where deaths began. 26 and 2 Jan also seen and look good. Thus 26 Jan- 6 Feb is when deaths began. Note: one elk was found .5 mile south of Ferris RR Crossing, 1 mile west of Rawlins (approximately 11 miles east of the Red Rim outbreak) on 31 December 2003 that fits the case definition (on December 31, 2003).

5. The risk factors include anything unique found within the Red Rim area or along migration route from Atlantic Rim to Red Rim. Some of these risk factors are yet to be identified.
a. Unique water sources
i. Water associated with drilling. Both CBM and oil drilling is occurring in the area.
ii. Separation Creek runs through the area.
iii. Artesian well. A well with livestock trough was found in the center of the die-off. The water contains some algae.
b. Vegetation
i. Lichen. Some elk have been seen eating lichen in the area. Lichen has been found in the rumen contents of many of the down elk.
ii. Gardener’s saltbush is common in the area.
iii. Kochia occurs in some creek bottoms
iv. Russian Thistle has been seen in the past
c. Unique location. The elk do not typically winter in this area. This may be an associated cause of disease, an effect of the disease, or an unrelated occurrence.

6. Hypotheses:
a. Viral- no viruses isolated (note, virus isolation is incomplete), no pathology suggestive of infection
b. Bacterial-no bacteria isolated, no pathology suggestive of infection
c. Parasitic-no parasites found, no pathology, no known parasitic infections associated with similar outbreaks.
d. Primary exertional myopathy. Most of the elk show lesions of degenerative myopathy (muscle damage). This damage may be secondary to being down or may be the primary cause of them going down.
e. Toxic-
i. Accidental or intentional “spill”
ii. Natural plant poison. No lesions consistent with toxic plants from the area have been found.
iii. Toxin released into water source
1. Drilling sources-CBM, oil, or others
2. Artesian well with algae
iv. Malicious poisoning of elk/or elk as nontarget. If this was an intentional poisoning, the perpetrator did a very good job of concealing it and used a very uncommon poison.

7. Results. Most elk found have been adult females. This is a predominantly cow-calf herd, so it is not surprising that diseased bulls are rarely found. But, it seems that calves are under-represented (data not yet available). Elk have been in fair to good body condition and most are alert and reactive. It appears that as the disease progresses the elk become moribund. Interestingly, there are also horses, a few cattle, some deer, and many pronghorn in the area that are not affected (one horse and one pronghorn have each been found dead, but the carcasses appear quite old).

To date there has not been a diagnosis. No infectious agents have been identified (note, virus isolation is still pending on a few cases), and there are no lesions suggestive of infection. This is why we are most suspicious of toxins/noninfectious causes. The WSVL has almost completed their toxicological analysis (additional samples will be sent to other labs for further analysis). Histologic results indicate mild to moderate degenerative myopathy (muscle damage); we cannot definitively say if these are primary (i.e. lesions caused the elk to go down) or secondary due to struggling once the elk is down.

Water samples from 4 different sources are being analyzed. Preliminary results (semi-quantitative analysis and mouse bioassays) indicate that there are no toxic element problems in the water.

Lichen (Parmelia spp) have been gathered and will be fed to “surplus” captive elk at the Sybille research unit to see if they develop the signs/lesions of the Red Rim elk.

As an experiment we treated four elk at WSVL that are down but alert. This was done to help us reach a diagnosis, not as a form of control. We treated different elk with different treatments. None of the elk responded, and 3 of the 4 either died or were euthanized. This definitively ruled out:
a. Calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus deficiency (i.e. milk fever and grass tetany in livestock).
b. Dehydration alone
c. Bacterial infection
d. Thiamine (B vitamin) deficiency
e. Vitamin E/Selenium deficiency
f. Pain or inflammation
g. Vitamin A&D deficiencies


a. Differential Diagnoses (DDx) ruled out based on WSVL results:
i. Salt poisoning,
ii. Insecticides (OP & carbamates)
iii. Nitrates (dipstick)
iv. Sulfate (rumen odor)
v. Toxic metals (Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Cobalt, Chromium, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Mercury, Molybdenum, Nickel, Lead, Selenium {toxicity and deficiency}, Thallium, Vanadium, and Zinc)
vi. CWD
vii. Meningeal and carotid artery worm
viii. Tick paralysis (we are pursuing this as a possibility however)
ix. Drilling surfactants (rumen pH)

b. DDx deemed very unlikely (and why determined to be unlikely):

i. Algal toxins (time of year, lack of liver lesions)
ii. Oxalate concentrating toxic plants (no kidney lesions)
iii. Infectious disease (none isolated, lack of lesions)
iv. H2S (normal rumen pH, lack of lesions, incompatible signs)
v. Sorghum (species, source, lack of cystitis)
vi. Locoweed (season, lack of lesions)
vii. Alkaloids (based on normal urine from one elk)
viii. Zinc phosphide (quantity needed is huge)
ix. Corticosteroids (lack of source)
x. Gossypol (lack of source, age, no cardiac lesions)
xi. Halothane & succinylcholine (species, source, route)
xii. Snake venom (season, number involved)
xiii. Aminoglycoside antibiotics (source)
xiv. 2,4D herbicide (species, source)
xv. Coniine (urinalysis of 1 elk)
xvi. Illicit drugs e.g. amphetamines, barbiturates (source)
xvii. Bracken fern (species, source)
xviii. Russian Thistle (season, none found, no nitrate identified)
xix. Kochia (season, lack of lesions)
xx. Phenoxy herbicides (source, lack of lesions)
xxi. Ethylene Glycol (signs)
xxii. Hypomagnesemia –grass tetany (season, signs, serum chemistry, no response to treatment)
xxiii. Hypocalcemia (serum chemistry, species, no response to treatment)
xxiv. Botulism (source, mouse bioassay).
xxv. Sodium flouroacetate - compound 1080 (signs, normal pulse, progression of disease)
xxvi. Strychnine (lack of convulsions/seizures, progression of disease)
xxvii. Carbon disulfide (signs, lack of liver lesions)


c. DDx still remaining:

i. Toxic accumulation in normally edible plants (some toxins may accumulate in “normal” vegetation)
ii. Ionophores (monensin). This is most likely if someone intentionally tried to poison elk or other animals. Probably not very likely, but the signs are compatible.
iii. Mycotoxins. Possibly from the lichens or other sources. .
iv. Capture or exertional myopathy (as primary cause)
v. Parmelia Lichen (Usnic acid in this lichen has been associated with similar problems in cattle) captive healthy elk are being fed this lichen.


8. Control/Prevention. We are unable to suggest an effective control or prevention program at this point, since we do not know the source of the problem. This may or may not be helpful, as we do not know if the source is water-borne.



Where do we go from here?

2. We need to very thoroughly examine the environment that the elk are in and that they have migrated through. At this point we have a better chance of finding a toxic source (if that is the cause) by locating it in the environment than by finding it by through additional toxicological analysis.

We need to comb the area to look for risk factors and to continue to develop hypotheses. This can be accomplished by setting up a grid pattern and having people walk, or ride horses or 4 wheelers to examine the area.

Note: the area has been examined on foot, on 4 wheeler, from truck and from helicopter. I think it has been well covered, but to my knowledge has still not been systematically covered.

3. WGFD personnel have been getting GPS locations and recording the date, sex, and age of all affected elk; this information has been entered into a database. This data needs to be put into a GIS map and overlaid on top of environmental features. We must map the spread of this disease over time to get an idea of where the original source may be. These maps (if available soon) may be able to direct our efforts in number 1 above.

4. The only “real” lesions seen to date are exertional myopathy (muscle damage). One way that might help determine if it is primary or secondary would be to remove an apparently healthy animal and an elk in very early stages of disease. This has been done, and results from WSVL should be available by next week. Mild muscle lesions were found in one elk that was standing – this suggests that muscle lesions may be primary. It would also be very helpful to get blood samples from elk in the very early stages of this disease to examine levels of creatine kinase (if elevated in early stages, this would indicate primary muscle damage).

 

[dreaminhogs]

I know this was suggested earlier but what about a drug/meth lab?

 

[threeforks]

This was in the Wyoming Game and Fish news, 3-18-04.
RAWLINS—The number of elk afflicted by a strange malady near here seem to have leveled off, thanks in part to winter leaving this high desert basin.

“In the last week or so, the elk have moved off to the south,” said Greg Hiatt, Rawlins regional wildlife biologist. “We’ve got radio collars on three healthy cows and we’re going to be monitoring their movements for quite some time to learn more about the herd and where it goes.”

Healthy elk that were wintering on the Daley Ranch southwest of here are now following the receding snowline back toward the Sierra Madre mountains. Last month, several hundred elk perished from a mysterious malady on the ranch and wildlife officials are working hard to learn why.

The mysterious deaths of 295 elk are still under investigation by officials from the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. On Feb. 8, two downed cow elk were discovered that could not rise and run when approached by agency personnel. As field crews searched the area in subsequent days, the number of elk afflicted slowly increased to the current number, scattered over a 50 square mile area of high desert. All exhibited the same symptoms: inability to rise from the ground, while remaining alert and vocal. Elk that were not found and euthanized by agency personnel died a slow, stressful death from starvation or dehydration.

Currently, department veterinarians are exploring a number of possibilities that could be the cause of the ailment, including possible poisonous plants such as a ground lichen known as Parmelia. Also on this list are a number of other toxins, as well as a muscular weakness due to over-stress. All possible causes are being explored and the results could be weeks away. Many other possibilities including bacterial or viral causes, and mineral or vitamin deficiencies have been ruled out. There is no evidence that suggests that whatever is affecting the elk could be a threat to humans.

“This syndrome is strictly limited to elk,” said Dr. Walt Cook of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. “None of the deer, pronghorn, cattle, horses or scavengers are affected. This is a species-specific affliction and it seems very unlikely that it could pose a threat to human health. In addition, personnel from the Wyoming State Vet Lab and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and others have very close contact with these animals and have suffered no ill effects.”

There is also no indication that the elk, once afflicted, can recover. All four of the debilitated elk that were taken to the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory in Laramie did not recover, despite treatments and excellent care. The last of those elk, a cow, was euthanized on Wednesday after being down for a total of 17 days.

Meanwhile, the scavengers of the Red Rim area are dining well, particularly ravens, crows and coyotes. The carcasses are widely scattered over wide-open sagebrush country.

“At this point and after receiving information that the cause is not contagious from a human or animal standpoint, we are going to let Mother Nature’s janitors clean up the carcasses out there,” said Kent Schmidlin, Lander regional wildlife supervisor. “Predators and scavengers have quite a job ahead of them but if big raptors move into the area, it will speed up the process.”

Both golden and bald eagles migrate through the area in the coming month and the carcasses will provide an important food source for these majestic birds.

-WGFD-