Mysterious Illness Affecting Wildlife Forcing Police To Shoot, Kill Animals

a reply to: seeker1963

Jesus man, i gotta start paying more attention. Can't fly planes around me so that's out. Do it by foot or car would seem less...

If someone dressed in plan clothing and no official markings was in my backyard throwing out treats.. I sure would like to know why. But I've not seen of heard of anything on this till now.

originally posted by: Bigburgh
a reply to: seeker1963

Jesus man, i gotta start paying more attention. Can't fly planes around me so that's out. Do it by foot or car would seem less...

If someone dressed in plan clothing and no official markings was in my backyard throwing out treats.. I sure would like to know why. But I've not seen of heard of anything on this till now.

LOL, I just heard a strange noise and like the old cat lady in the neighborhood peered out my window between the blinds!

All I am saying as an old hunter/trapper is that not every sick acting animal has rabies. Usually an animal with rabies is quite aggressive. An animal with distemper, has it's eyes caked up, fur matted, and walks like it drank a six pack of 4LOCO! They are quite easy to get away from, due to the fact they act like they are literally snip faced and can't move very fast.

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: Black_Fox


Grew up trapped/hunted and still live in the area. Sound like Distemper to me......

If their eyes are caked up and they stumble towards humans like they are drunk that they would normally run away from? Distemper!

I say the same...

And...

Ross Township Police say they shoot and kill five to 10 animals a day, then toss them back into the woods.

What idiots! It's OBVIOUSLY distemper and how do you spread it? Body fluids...

So yeah, they're making it worse. What idiots. Shouldn't someone tell them this?

Shouldn't someone tell them this?

More important, will they listen.

originally posted by: crayzeed
a reply to: butcherguy
No need to kill. Why not tranquilize one and test it living. There must be a common denominator and the first thing I would go for is their water supply as it just might be humans water supply as well.
They're idiots. The carcasses should be burnt to stop transference.

The brain has to be sliced apart to test for rabies. The only other way of checking is to quarantine the animal past the normal incubation period to see if the animal dies, but that is seldom done, because if you are bitten by a suspected rabid animal, the medical authorities will start prophylactic vaccination immediately on you, so it doesn't matter if the animal has rabies or not.
Wild animals showing signs of rabies should be killed. Once the body heat has dropped to room temperature, the virus dies, and the risk of contagion is zero.

Looks like US corporate bioterror. This what happens when you don't hunt mad scientists or not tell the public what your experimenting on. Bring biohazard suits, flamethrowers, insect repellents, and salt water! Don't forget Holy water if needed.

originally posted by: TNMockingbird
a reply to: Black_Fox
I'm sorry but, am I the only one that finds this statement from the authorities ridiculous?!!

Ross Township Police say they shoot and kill five to 10 animals a day, then toss them back into the woods.

Perhaps they could be captured and tested, or shot and tested...TESTED to find out exactly what is causing the behavior.
If they aren't threatening, I don't understand why this wouldn't be the course of action.

...and then, you know, bury the diseased carcass instead of tossing it in the woods to spread infection.

originally posted by: crayzeed
a reply to: butcherguy
No need to kill. Why not tranquilize one and test it living. There must be a common denominator and the first thing I would go for is their water supply as it just might be humans water supply as well.
They're idiots. The carcasses should be burnt to stop transference.

Not for rabies, you need to test undamaged brain tissue, can't freeze it or shoot the animal in the head, bats you can freeze for testing, the rest get put down and decapitated then sent to lab...

originally posted by: makemap
Looks like US corporate bioterror. This what happens when you don't hunt mad scientists or not tell the public what your experimenting on. Bring biohazard suits, flamethrowers, insect repellents, and salt water! Don't forget Holy water if needed.

Silver bullets, and a cross too...just for good measure....

People have forgotton how bad this stuff can get and no longer act like this is life or death .
My small town went through it 25 years agaio .
My wife says her cat was acting strange Growing at her acting like it did not know who she was slobbering .
Locked it ina cat cage took it to teh vets say listen thsi cat looks like it may have rabies and people need to be notfied if its true .

Vet says county does not test for it teh end I had him put teh cat down .

Two monts later full out brake .No one even gave a darn then no one warned of teh dangers just one small blirp in the local paper one time .

Fools science worked for 300 years to reduce this and looks like this generation has just thrown out all of it .
Its not me so its not a problem untill it is you then its to late fools .

It took so long for humans to gain our knowledge jsut to tose it in the trash

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Except for the fact that the internet breeds more ignorance than it cures.

originally posted by: crayzeed
a reply to: butcherguy
No need to kill. Why not tranquilize one and test it living. There must be a common denominator and the first thing I would go for is their water supply as it just might be humans water supply as well.
They're idiots. The carcasses should be burnt to stop transference.

The rabies test is done on brain tissue. You don't need a living specimen for that. And if a living one is provided, it quickly becomes non-living.

originally posted by: Ranger351

originally posted by: crayzeed
a reply to: butcherguy
No need to kill. Why not tranquilize one and test it living. There must be a common denominator and the first thing I would go for is their water supply as it just might be humans water supply as well.
They're idiots. The carcasses should be burnt to stop transference.

Not for rabies, you need to test undamaged brain tissue, can't freeze it or shoot the animal in the head, bats you can freeze for testing, the rest get put down and decapitated then sent to lab...

One of my husband's early jobs was at the state rabies testing lab. He received heads that had been in the mail, unfrozen in the Kansas summer time for three weeks, and there was enough neural tissue for a viable test.

It doesn't take much and it doesn't have to be pristine.

It's called EHD and it is spread by biting flies.
Source: Deer disease EHD hitting local herds

Since many dead and sick-looking deer have been found recently, most near water, it points to another outbreak of EHD. West Virginia DNR Wildlife Biologist Jim Crum said the deer usually die quickly (5-10 days) after getting bitten by a midge 2-3 times. He calls them “blood meals,”where the midge (tiny, fly-like insects) bite the deer multiple times, sometimes laying eggs, and pass along the deadly virus.

EHD can not be passed from deer to deer or be transferred to humans or other animals. All deer, any age, male or female, can get infected with the disease. It causes a high fever and extreme hemorrhaging in deer. In many cases the infection is deadly. Some deer, if exposed from year to year, may become immune to the disease.

We have deer all over the local creeks lying dead.
Some wandering in circles.
Definitely a regional problem...

Just another way to thin the population.

originally posted by: havok
It's called EHD and it is spread by biting flies.
Source: Deer disease EHD hitting local herds

Since many dead and sick-looking deer have been found recently, most near water, it points to another outbreak of EHD. West Virginia DNR Wildlife Biologist Jim Crum said the deer usually die quickly (5-10 days) after getting bitten by a midge 2-3 times. He calls them “blood meals,”where the midge (tiny, fly-like insects) bite the deer multiple times, sometimes laying eggs, and pass along the deadly virus.

EHD can not be passed from deer to deer or be transferred to humans or other animals. All deer, any age, male or female, can get infected with the disease. It causes a high fever and extreme hemorrhaging in deer. In many cases the infection is deadly. Some deer, if exposed from year to year, may become immune to the disease.

We have deer all over the local creeks lying dead.
Some wandering in circles.
Definitely a regional problem...

Just another way to thin the population.

there is one other disease that hits deer and other animals
Parelaphostrongylus tenuis (also known as meningeal worm, brainworm, or moose illness) is a neurotropic nematode parasite common to white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, which causes damage to the central nervous system.
Parelaphostrongylus tenuis is a nematode parasite common to white tail deer. Sheep and goats, camelids, elk, caribou, and moose may be aberrant hosts.

The deer. moose or other animals will run in circles with there head canted to one side.
The symptoms are very clear when seen and the only thing that can be done is to put the animals down.

originally posted by: crayzeed
a reply to: butcherguy

They're idiots. The carcasses should be burnt to stop transference.

THIS^^^^^^

It's seems very irresponsible of them to handle the carcass disposal the way they are. The fact that they don't know what's killing them and dumping carcass's where other animals can and will feed on them, seems a little ass-backwards. I understand they don't want the odor in their vehicles, but how hard can it be to get a dump truck and burn them nightly in the truck bed?

a reply to: mtnshredder

If a carcass is burned with the idea of stopping the spread of a pathogen, they need to be burned in a crematory. A crematory burns the carcass with a primary burner and all of the exhaust passes through a secondary burner that maintains a minimum temperature of 1,600 degrees F to destroy pathogens.

originally posted by: TNMockingbird
a reply to: Black_Fox
I'm sorry but, am I the only one that finds this statement from the authorities ridiculous?!!

Ross Township Police say they shoot and kill five to 10 animals a day, then toss them back into the woods.

Perhaps they could be captured and tested, or shot and tested...TESTED to find out exactly what is causing the behavior.
If they aren't threatening, I don't understand why this wouldn't be the course of action.

From OP article

The Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, and the Allegheny County Health Department are working with Ross Township Police to test deceased animals for disease. Brenda Waters

Ross Township officials say there are no indications that the sick woodland animals euthanized by police in recent weeks were rabid. But carcasses have been sent to health officials for testing as a precaution. Police say 38 animals — mostly sick raccoons and groundhogs — were put down in August after residents called 911 to report seeing the animals coming out of the wood. So far this month, 28 animals have been euthanized.

Kohlhepp said officials also do not believe the animals were sickened by rabies vaccine bait that was placed throughout the county in early August.

originally posted by: seeker1963

originally posted by: Bigburgh
a reply to: seeker1963

Because Ross, Shaler, Millvale, West Veiw etc etc etc get an outbreak of Rabies far more than goes reported. Destroying 5 to 10 a day during summer month are not uncommon. So i can see how it would be esier to just kill an animal and leaving it rather than saving at least one sample for testing. Ross especially gets a bit busy with other calls to have to deal with animals.

My dogs are up to date on all shots.
A little ticked however that if they were distributing vaccines via pellet and not informing residents. 🤔

Last summer I saw a vehicle spreading something out of the back. I want out and checked and they were small pellets. We weren't even having any issues at the time as far as I was aware.... It wasn't a Game Commission Vehicle either, so I am wondering if we are having issues with local government THINKING they know the problem and overstepping their authority by not contacting the Game Commission?

Kohlhepp said officials also do not believe the animals were sickened by rabies vaccine bait that was placed throughout the county in early August.

Kohlhepp said officials also do not believe the animals were sickened by rabies vaccine bait that was placed throughout the county in early August.

a reply to: SeaWorthy

I suppose I should slooooowwww down when reading. I totally missed that!
Thanks for that.

I'm still surprised that ANY carcasses were thrown back into the woods by the officials/authorities.
Irresponsible behavior, IMO, especially when they were/are uncertain of the illness or whatever it is impacting the animals in the area.