| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 346.1 | Yup, and the is no antelope actually called an antelope. | POLAR::RICHARDSON | Help save the Nolton Nash Pine! | Fri Aug 31 1990 09:27 | 9 |
| I believe the herd is in northern Alberta close to the territories.
I forget the name of the disease but it had to do with transplanting
buffalo from the south into the northern herd which gave the whole
northern herd this disease.
Maybe they'll round them all up in Head-Bashed-In Buffalo Jump and
do it the old fashioned way.
Glenn
|
| 346.2 | TB is the concern | TROA01::MSCHNEIDER | vi.... the editor from hell! | Fri Aug 31 1990 09:35 | 9 |
| I believe the disease is tuberculosis (sp?). The fear is that the
disease could be transferred to cattle and eliminate the TB free
status Canada's beef cattle enjoy. Agriculture Canada's contention
is that the only way to eliminate this threat is to destroy the
entire herd.
I seem to remember a similar issue in the U.S. a short while ago.
Martin
|
| 346.3 | Can they Recover ? | CRATE::ROWELL | Searching for an angel in white | Fri Aug 31 1990 10:14 | 9 |
| Just from the scetchy report that I heard, it sounded seriouse. Will
this slaughter affect the numbers THAT drastcally, or are there enough
numbers to recouperate once again ?
I remember seeing some of these beasts, whe I lived in Manitoba, and
remeber how awed I was by them. It would be sad to see them disappear
for good.
Wayne
|
| 346.4 | | TRCO01::FINNEY | Keep cool, but do not freeze | Fri Aug 31 1990 16:54 | 29 |
| The number of Buffalo affected, according to the Alberta Gov't is
some 30% of the herd. According to the people in the area, it is
between 3 and 4 % of the herd. The promises of rebuilding the herd
(from 0) are not being bought by the natives of the area. They claim
the purpose of eliminating the herd is to provide an opportunity
to expand the cattle grazing territory northwards into the protected
buffalo areas.
Between the buffs and the "endangered" cattle is hilly, swampy and
forested terrain with many river crossings that the buffalo have
_never_ entered, since they had no need to.
This is not the first time that the Alta gov't has announced intentions
to reduce that herd. some years ago (10 ?) it was announced that
the herd would be culled due to overpopulation, even though it was
at that time only up to 60% of the target supportable population
in the protected area. That idea was shot down in flames by various
wildlife management groups, and some audacious soul who revealed
that cattle farmers in the area were told to prepare bids for some
new acreage that would be made available.
Who wants to lay odds on where that acreage was ? Any bets on how
quickly cattle herds will move into the currently protected lands
?
BTW - Native indians had been "granted" control & usage rights over
the herd territory. Isn't that special ?
Scooter
|
| 346.5 | | VAOU02::HALLIDAY | Professional bad influence | Fri Aug 31 1990 19:30 | 8 |
| The disease is called brucellosis, and its contagious between cows and
buffalo. The solution is the same for cows that get it: kill them (the
meat is inedible).
I don't know why they always do this. There may be problems with
vaccines.
...laura
|
| 346.6 | Clarify the location | CGOO01::LMILLER | hasten slowly | Tue Sep 04 1990 11:36 | 8 |
| There are 2 diseases: both TB and Brucellosis (sp) are in the herd.
The place is Wood Buffalo National park, I believe, it straddles
Alberta and NWT.
BTW: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is in the far SE of Alberta, so
it would be a long chase!
|
| 346.7 | Northern herd is free of disease | KAOA01::LAPLANTE | | Wed Sep 05 1990 08:20 | 9 |
|
One of the main reasons they want to eliminate the southern herd
is that the buffalo are starting to infringe on the range of a northern
herd which is completely free of the disease.
The intent, according to the pols, is to restock with buffalo from
the other herd.
Roger
|