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Background: Population growth and management in cervid species is dependent on reproductive ecology and factors influencing juvenile survival. Aspects of the female's movement behavior likely affect juvenile survival and movement patterns of pregnant and lactating females differ from non-pregnant or non-lactating females. Explanations for these differing movement patterns include change in nutritional demands for the female, isolation during parturition, and predator avoidance. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are an important managed cervid and a better understanding of their reproductive ecology, including the relationships between resources, movement, and juvenile survival, can better inform management. Methods: Our objective was to determine if biological factors, such as female age, fawn age, number of fawns, as well as characteristics of prepartum range affected the female's postpartum daily movement or overlap of space used pre- and postpartum in Sussex County, Delaware, USA (2,420 km2). We collected GPS locations 2 weeks pre- and postpartum on 22 individual females from 2016 to 2017. In total, we recorded data from 263 days of postpartum movement for an average of 12 days/individual. We used a hierarchical modeling process to test biological factors and prepartum home range characteristics on two aspects of postpartum movement behavior, mean hourly displacements and daily use of prepartum home range. Results: Mean hourly displacement decreased with increased female age and increased with number of known fawns alive and the female's home range size prior to parturition. We found that as fawns aged the doe increased use of the prepartum home range. Conclusions: Our results indicate that younger females are moving more than older females during lactation potentially to access higher quality habitat. This increased movement increases nutritional demand and may play a role in fawn survival. Females are more likely to use more of their prepartum home range as fawns age, a finding congruent with previous research. This differentiation in metric response (movement rate vs. space use) emphasizes the complexities of movement ecology and the importance of considering multiple dependent variables for complex behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dicrocoelium dendriticum is a trematode that infects both domestic and wild animals, with transmission potentially occurring at the wildlife-domestic interface. This study aims to investigate liver fluke infection in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and its epidemiological role in central Italy, where the species coexists with domestic ruminants. A total of 265 roe deer livers were examined between 2021 and 2022 and animal data such as collection area, sex, age class, and seasonality were recorded. The livers were macroscopically examined to determine a Liver Lesion Score, and adult parasites were collected and counted. Overall, 52 of the 265 animals (19.6%) were infected by D. dendriticum flukes, identified through morphological and molecular methods. The total mean intensity of infection was 17.1 flukes per animal (ranging from 1 to 354). This study reports, for the first time, the presence of D. dendriticum in roe deer in Italy. The lower intensity of infection observed in roe deer compared to domestic animals in the literature may be related to the different dietary habits of these species. However, further studies are recommended to access (i) the potential role of roe deer as an animal in "refugia" and (ii) whether interactions between wild and domestic animals contribute to anthelmintic resistance in the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Population growth and management in cervid species is dependent on reproductive ecology and factors influencing juvenile survival. Aspects of the female’s movement behavior likely affect juvenile survival and movement patterns of pregnant and lactating females differ from non-pregnant or non-lactating females. Explanations for these differing movement patterns include change in nutritional demands for the female, isolation during parturition, and predator avoidance. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are an important managed cervid and a better understanding of their reproductive ecology, including the relationships between resources, movement, and juvenile survival, can better inform management. Methods Our objective was to determine if biological factors, such as female age, fawn age, number of fawns, as well as characteristics of prepartum range affected the female’s postpartum daily movement or overlap of space used pre- and postpartum in Sussex County, Delaware, USA (2,420 km2). We collected GPS locations 2 weeks pre- and postpartum on 22 individual females from 2016 to 2017. In total, we recorded data from 263 days of postpartum movement for an average of 12 days/individual. We used a hierarchical modeling process to test biological factors and prepartum home range characteristics on two aspects of postpartum movement behavior, mean hourly displacements and daily use of prepartum home range. Results Mean hourly displacement decreased with increased female age and increased with number of known fawns alive and the female’s home range size prior to parturition. We found that as fawns aged the doe increased use of the prepartum home range. Conclusions Our results indicate that younger females are moving more than older females during lactation potentially to access higher quality habitat. This increased movement increases nutritional demand and may play a role in fawn survival. Females are more likely to use more of their prepartum home range as fawns age, a finding congruent with previous research. This differentiation in metric response (movement rate vs. space use) emphasizes the complexities of movement ecology and the importance of considering multiple dependent variables for complex behavior.

Infectious prions are resistant to degradation and remain infectious in the environment for several years. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in cervids inhabiting North America, the Nordic countries, and South Korea. CWD-prion spread is partially attributed to carcass transport and disposal. We employed a forensic approach to investigate an illegal carcass dump site connected with a CWD-positive herd. We integrated anatomic, genetic, and prion amplification methods to discover CWD-positive remains from six white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and, using microsatellite markers, confirmed a portion originated from the CWD-infected herd. This approach provides a foundation for future studies of carcass prion transmission risk.

Cervid populations introduced to favorable habitats in confinement often increase excessively without predators and hunting. Overabundant deer populations impact the ecosystems and may cause damages to agriculture and forestry. Long‐term count data on the changes in a deer population is essential to understand the relationship between the population dynamics and the natural vegetation. The introduced sika deer (Cervus nippon Temminck, 1836) population without predators on Nakanoshima Island, Hokkaido, Japan, showed repeated irruptions and declines with mass mortality and irregular culling between 1980s and 2000s. The overabundant deer significantly altered the natural vegetation, and density‐dependent changes in population parameters such as body size and reproduction were observed. Here, we present the drive count and culling data to examine the population dynamics during 1980–2023. Deer were counted by 20–30 walking drivers and 2–3 observers on boats once per year in February or March. The number of counted deer rapidly increased from the original three introduced around 1960 to >270 deer (the first peak) in two decades and decreased by half due to starvation and the first culling. Thereafter, the number of counted deer continued to increase with a lower growth rate, reached a higher peak (>400, the second peak) than the first irruption in two decades, and decreased again by half due to starvation and the second culling. Although the number of counted deer increased again up to >300 in several years, it decreased and was maintained at around 100 deer with the annual culling program since 2012. The complete data set for this abstract published in the Data Article section of the journal is available in electronic format in MetaCat in JaLTER at http://db.cger.nies.go.jp/JaLTER/metacat/metacat/ERDP-2024-06.1/jalter-en. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compensate for mineral deficiencies in food sources, numerous ungulate species use various methods, such as salt licking, soil ingestion, and gnawing on antlers or bones. While osteophagia, the act of gnawing on antlers or bones, is well-documented in cervid species, it has only been observed in sika deer (Cervus nippon) on Mageshima Island in southern Japan despite their widespread distribution. This study aimed to provide an initial account of the observations of osteophagia in sika deer from central Japan. One of the 15 camera traps deployed in the Hakone Nature Forest of Tamagawa University for wildlife monitoring serendipitously captured multiple instances of adult female sika deer gnawing on a four-tined antler on July 9th and 16th in 2018. These occurrences coincided with the fawning season of the species during which mineral deficiencies in the diet are prevalent, suggesting that osteophagia serves as a response to nutrient deficiencies in the diet of sika deer in central Japan. Thus, systematic surveys may yield additional evidence of this behavior in sika deer across diverse geographical areas given the absence of studies on osteophagia in sika deer conducted in other regions. Digital video images related to the article are available at http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo240508cn01a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how the nutritional properties of food resources drive foraging choices is important for the management and conservation of wildlife populations. For moose (Alces alces), recent experimental and observational studies during the winter have shown macronutrient balancing between available protein (AP) and highly metabolizable macronutrients (total non‐structural carbohydrates [TNC] and lipids). Here, we combined the use of continuous‐recording camera collars with plant nutrient analyses and forage availability measurements to obtain a detailed insight into the food and nutritional choices of three wild moose in Norway over a 5‐day period in summer. We found that moose derived their macronutrient energy primarily from carbohydrates (74.2%), followed by protein (13.1%), and lipids (12.7%). Diets were dominated by deciduous tree browse (71%). Willows (Salix spp.) were selected for and constituted 51% of the average diet. Moose consumed 25 different food items during the study period of which 9 comprised 95% of the diet. Moose tightly regulated their intake of protein to highly metabolizable macronutrients (AP:TNC + lipids) to a ratio of 1:2.7 (0.37 ± 0.002SD). They did this by feeding on foods that most closely matched the target macronutrient ratio such as Salix spp., or by combining nutritionally imbalanced foods (complementary feeding) in a non‐random manner that minimized deviations from the intake target. The observed patterns of macronutrient balancing aligned well with the findings of winter studies. Differential feeding on nutritionally balanced downy birch (Betula pubescens) leaves versus imbalanced twigs+leaves across moose individuals indicated that macronutrient balancing may occur on as fine a scale as foraging bites on a single plant species. Utilized forages generally met the suggested requirement thresholds for the minerals calcium, phosphorus, copper, molybdenum, and magnesium but tended to be low in sodium. Our findings offer new insights into the foraging behavior of a model species in ungulate nutritional ecology and contribute to informed decision‐making in wildlife and forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of cellular prion proteins encoded by the prion protein gene (PRNP) impacts susceptibility to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, including chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer. The recent emergence of CWD in Northern European reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), moose (Alces alces alces) and red deer (Cervus elaphus), in parallel with the outbreak in North America, gives reason to investigate PRNP variation in European deer, to implement risk assessments and adjust CWD management for deer populations under threat. We here report PRNP-sequence data from 911 samples of German red, roe (Capreolus capreolus), sika (Cervus nippon) and fallow deer (Dama dama) as well as additional data from 26 Danish red deer close to the German border and four zoo species not native to Germany. No PRNP sequence variation was observed in roe and fallow deer, as previously described for populations across Europe. In contrast, a broad PRNP variation was detected in red deer, with non-synonymous polymorphisms at codons 98, 226 and 247 as well as synonymous mutations at codons 21, 78, 136 and 185. Moreover, a novel 24 bp deletion within the octapeptide repeat was detected. In summary, 14 genotypes were seen in red deer with significant differences in their geographical distribution and frequencies, including geographical clustering of certain genotypes, suggesting "PRNP-linages" in this species. Based on data from North American CWD and the genotyping results of the European CWD cases, we would predict that large proportions of wild cervids in Europe might be susceptible to CWD once introduced to naive populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities, including the movement of harvested cervids, pose significant risks for spreading chronic wasting disease (CWD) to new locations. This study used hierarchical agglomerative clustering to compare Minnesota, USA hunters' carcass disposal habits and likelihood of CWD testing as a function of individual differences in risk perceptions and hunting area. We utilized a survey of Minnesota hunters conducted during Spring 2020 that included a random sample of individuals that hunt statewide and in a local disease management zone (N = 5,000, response rate = 33%). We did not detect a significant difference in disposal behaviors as a function of CWD risk perceptions, but rather because of increased accessibility of low-risk disposal methods. Conversely, we found perceived likelihood of conducting CWD testing was positively associated with perceptions of risk. These findings have implications for vector tracing for future CWD outbreaks and highlight the benefit of understanding constituent habits and regulation compliance in disease management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Antlers are a costly trait that require skeletal reserves to grow to a large size. Thus, insight into variation in antler size requires understanding the connection between antler and body size, which can be summarized through ontogenetic and static scaling relationships. Both types of scaling relationships are also needed to examine the influence of factors besides body mass on antler growth at different ages and whether the effects of these factors diminish with age. Dietary and maternal effects might decline with age as individuals attempt to mitigate size deficits. We examined the potential effects of diet and maternal attributes of dam (mother) age at birth and litter size on body–antler mass relationships throughout ontogeny and at discrete ages. Data on age, maternal characteristics, body mass, and antler mass were gathered from captive, pen-raised White-tailed Deer (n = 168) that consumed either a low-energy (1.77 kcal/g) or standard-energy diet (2.65 kcal/g) from the time they were weaned until they perished by 5.5 years of age. Both types of scaling relationships were estimated with linear mixed-effects models to account for repeated measurements of males, dams, and sires. Diet affected ontogenetic scaling relationships. Males eating the low-energy diet had faster antler growth when young and lighter in body mass than when they were older and heavier—whereas males fed the standard-energy diet had a similar rate of antler growth across the range of body masses. A Bayesian Information Criterion model selection analysis indicated that diet and litter size (singleton, multiple births), but not dam age at birth influenced static scaling relationships. Static scalar coefficients up to 3.5 years of age were positively allometric (>1.0), but isometric (1.0) in 4.5- and 5.5-year-old males. Furthermore, diet and litter size influenced both intercepts and slopes in only the youngest males (1.5 years) indicating that dietary and maternal effects can diminish with age. Body–antler mass relationships are complex. Young males that are small because of maternal effects, for example, might still be able to mitigate smaller body and antler sizes at older ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral licks are key ecological components of the Amazon rainforest, providing critical dietary functions for herbivorous and frugivorous mammals and birds, which help maintain the structure and function of the forest itself through seed and nutrient dispersal. One of the most frequent visitors of interior forest mineral licks in the Amazon is the red brocket deer (Mazama americana), a large‐bodied ruminant frugivore and seed predator. While several hypotheses for the drivers of geophagy exist, including mineral supplementation, toxin adsorption, and habitat selection, robust data on geophagy for the red brocket deer for large numbers of mineral licks is nonexistent. We used soil data from 83 mineral licks in conjunction with camera trap data from 52 of those mineral licks and a mixed‐effects modeling approach to test the three proposed hypotheses of geophagy for the red brocket deer. We found that consumed soils at mineral licks had elevated concentrations of almost all major and minor biologically active minerals measured, including Ca, Na, Mg, K, Cu, Zn, and Mn. Model results suggest that all three hypotheses hold true to some extent for the red brocket deer, with the greatest support for the mineral supplementation hypothesis, in particular with respect to Mg, Ca, Na, Cu, and Zn. This study provides critical information on the feeding ecology of the red brocket deer in the wild, and the first robust analysis of geophagy of an Amazonian mammal involving a large sample size of interior forest mineral licks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTAmong the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids is now a rising concern in wildlife within Europe, after the detection of the first case in Norway in 2016, in a wild reindeer and until June 2022 a total of 34 cases were described in Norway, Sweden and Finland. The definite diagnosis is post-mortem, performed in target areas of the brain and lymph nodes. Samples are first screened using a rapid test and, if positive, confirmed by immunohistochemistry and Western immunoblotting. The study of the genetics of the prion protein gene, PRNP, has been proved to be a valuable tool for determining the relative susceptibility to TSEs. In the present study, the exon 3 of PRNP gene of 143 samples from red deer (Cervus elaphus) and fallow deer (Dama dama) of Portugal was analysed. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found in red deer – codon A136A, codon T98A, codon Q226E – and no sequence variation was detected in fallow deer. The low genetic diversity found in our samples is compatible with previous studies in Europe. The comparison with results from North America suggests that the free-ranging deer from our study may present susceptibility to CWD, although lack of experimental data and the necessity of continuous survey are necessary to evaluate these populations.

Abstract Background Toxoplasma gondii is a parasitic protozoan that can infect a wide range of warm-blooded animals, including humans. The infection with T. gondii, is of particular concern due to its potential impact on human and animal health. In Sweden, semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus L.) is an important species both economically and culturally, but susceptibility to Toxoplasma infection and seroprevalence in reindeer herds remain relatively understudied. Results A total of 528 reindeer, sampled at two slaughterhouses in Sweden in 2014, were investigated for antibodies to T. gondii. Specific antibodies to T. gondii were found in 5 of 209 (2.3%) tested adult reindeer and in 6 of 308 (1.9%) tested calves, giving an apparent total prevalence of 2.1% (95% confidence interval 1.1–3.8%). None of four putative risk factors studied (sex, age, type of grazing area, county) were statistically associated with T. gondii seroprevalence. Conclusions Swedish semi-domesticated reindeer are exposed to T. gondii and may harbour infectious tissue cysts. To mitigate the risk of T. gondii infection in consumers, reindeer meat should be frozen or cooked thoroughly before consumption. The global climate change may influence the seroprevalence and possible associated risk factors for T. gondii in reindeer. To be able to manage the risk and get better advice to the consumers there is a need for further investigations covering the whole spectra of herding conditions for reindeer.

Abstract Background Monitoring the behavior of wild animals in situ can improve our understanding of how their behavior is related to their habitat and affected by disturbances and changes in their environment. Moose (Alces alces) are keystone species in their boreal habitats, where they are facing environmental changes and disturbances from human activities. How these potential stressors can impact individuals and populations is unclear, in part due to our limited knowledge of the physiology and behavior of moose and how individuals can compensate for stress and disturbances they experience. We collected data from collar-mounted fine-scale tri-axial accelerometers deployed on captive moose in combination with detailed behavioral observations to train a random forest supervised classification algorithm to classify moose accelerometer data into discrete behaviors. To investigate the generalizability of our model to collared new individuals, we quantified the variation in classification performance among individuals. Results Our machine learning model successfully classified 3-s accelerometer data intervals from 12 Alaskan moose (A. a. gigas) and two European moose (A. a. alces) into seven behaviors comprising 97.6% of the 395 h of behavioral observations conducted in summer, fall and spring. Classification performance varied among behaviors and individuals and was generally dependent on sample size. Classification performance was highest for the most common behaviors lying with the head elevated, ruminating and foraging (precision and recall across all individuals between 0.74 and 0.90) comprising 79% of our data, and lower and more variable among individuals for the four less common behaviors lying with head down or tucked, standing, walking and running (precision and recall across all individuals between 0.28 and 0.79) comprising 21% of our data. Conclusions We demonstrate the use of animal-borne accelerometer data to distinguish among seven main behaviors of captive moose and discuss generalizability of the results to individuals in the wild. Our results can support future efforts to investigate the detailed behavior of collared wild moose, for example in the context of disturbance responses, time budgets and behavior-specific habitat selection.

Abstract The term “applied ecology of fear” was recently introduced to describe the growing research field that applies the theory of the ecology of fear to manage wildlife behaviour. The management goal is to drive targeted species spatially and temporally away from areas of human interest by inducing cues from real or simulated predators to reduce human‐wildlife conflict. We aimed to quantify, through a meta‐analysis, if prey anti‐predator response would vary among field trials versus pen‐based studies, predator cue types, predator hunting style and prey feeding type, and be stronger in response to larger predators relative to the prey's size. We also explored what studies found in terms of wildlife habituation to cues. We used species belonging to the Cervidae family as a case study since deer are among the group of species with the highest degree of human‐wildlife conflict. We retrieved 114 studies from online databases and collected information from 39 of those studies that fitted our research scope. We found that acoustic cues more frequently led to an anti‐predator response in deer than olfactory or visual cues. Neither predator hunting strategy nor deer feeding strategy or type of study (free‐ranging or pen‐based animals) influenced the extent to which deer responded to cues. Deer more frequently responded to cues that belonged to a larger predator relative to their size. Habituation was reported in less than one‐third of the studies, with a study period ranging from 1 to 90 days, and occurred as soon as 7 days after the start of the study on average. Our meta‐analysis suggested that acoustic cues hold most potential as a tool to manage deer behaviour. These findings support the development of applied ecology of fear tools that introduce predator cues to reduce human‐wildlife conflicts. Major knowledge gaps remain that limit the effective use of such tools in wildlife management and future research should focus on improving our understanding of habituation to cues, on comparing the effectiveness of different types of cues, on simultaneously using a combination of cue types, and on testing cues at spatial–temporal scales of actual land‐uses.

Simple Summary: Deer farming for venison production has incorporated castration as a means to ease the management of male spikers (handling and injuries) and prevent breeding of slaughter animals. The present study assesses immunocastration as an animal-welfare-friendly alternative to physical castration methods, together with the use of supplementary amino acids to improve the nutrition of yearling fallow deer bucks. Indicators of testes development were assessed, as well as their correlations with secondary sexual traits and dimorphic body development (including antlers), which may be affected by castration and increased nutrition. Immunocastration disrupted testes development on a microscopic level (atrophy of seminiferous tubules, decreased sperm viability, and decreased percentages of normal sperm morphology), but testes size remains a questionable indicator of vaccination success on the macroscopic level. When the effect of nutrition is considered, amino acid supplementation shows potential for enhancing the development of yearling fallow deer bucks selected for breeding, as intact deer fed amino acids had the greatest extent of testes development and sperm viability. Thus, both aspects warrant further investigation as promising tools for application in deer farming. Forty-four fallow deer bucks (10 months old; 22.9 ± 2.4 kg) were utilized to investigate the effects of immunocastration and amino acid supplementation on testes development. Immunocastrated bucks were administered Improvac® at weeks 1, 8, and 20 of this study (control group: intact males). Starting at week 8, half of each sex received rumen-protected lysine and methionine (3:1) supplementation. At slaughter (week 37/39), body size, internal fat deposits, antler size parameters, testes weight, testes surface color, cauda epididymal sperm viability and morphology, and seminiferous tubule circumference and epithelium thickness were determined. Animals with larger body sizes, greater forequarter development, and antler growth also had greater testes development. Whilst the result of immunocastration on testes size is unexpected, testes tissue showed impaired development (atrophied seminiferous tubules), decreased sperm viability, and normal morphology. Testes tissue from immunocastrated deer was less red, possibly indicating reduced blood supply. Conversely, amino acid supplementation increased testes' redness and sperm viability, and intact males fed amino acids showed the greatest seminiferous tubule development. Thus, immunocastration may be a welfare-friendly alternative for venison production. Whilst the results support findings from the literature that testes size is not a reliable indicator of immunocastration success, this warrants further investigation in deer over different physiological development stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Toxoplasma gondii is a parasitic protozoan that can infect a wide range of warm-blooded animals, including humans. The infection with T. gondii, is of particular concern due to its potential impact on human and animal health. In Sweden, semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus L.) is an important species both economically and culturally, but susceptibility to Toxoplasma infection and seroprevalence in reindeer herds remain relatively understudied. Results: A total of 528 reindeer, sampled at two slaughterhouses in Sweden in 2014, were investigated for antibodies to T. gondii. Specific antibodies to T. gondii were found in 5 of 209 (2.3%) tested adult reindeer and in 6 of 308 (1.9%) tested calves, giving an apparent total prevalence of 2.1% (95% confidence interval 1.1–3.8%). None of four putative risk factors studied (sex, age, type of grazing area, county) were statistically associated with T. gondii seroprevalence. Conclusions: Swedish semi-domesticated reindeer are exposed to T. gondii and may harbour infectious tissue cysts. To mitigate the risk of T. gondii infection in consumers, reindeer meat should be frozen or cooked thoroughly before consumption. The global climate change may influence the seroprevalence and possible associated risk factors for T. gondii in reindeer. To be able to manage the risk and get better advice to the consumers there is a need for further investigations covering the whole spectra of herding conditions for reindeer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yucatan brown brocket deer was initially described as Mazama pandora Merriam, 1901. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA recovered the species as sister group of the genus Odocoileus and subsequently the species was repositioned to this genus naming Odocoileus pandora (Merriam, 1901). However, there is still a lack of taxonomic consensus that could assist in nomenclature definition of the species. We aim to clarify the taxonomy of O. pandora through an integrative assessment using morphological, cytogenetic, and molecular data from recently collected specimens. Morphological characterizations identified O. pandora as a medium-sized brocket deer. The skull shows an inflated auditory bulla and a narrow zygomatic arch. Males present long, broad, spike-like antlers converging inward, marked with deep longitudinal grooves. Odocoileus pandora shows a karyotype with 2n = 60 FN = 74. Bacterial artificial chromosome clone hybridization showed that centric and tandem fusions, and inversions are involved in karyotypical divergences between O. pandora, S. gouazoubira, M. americana, and O. virginianus. Our phylogeny based on Bayesian Inference of mitogenome recovered O. pandora as monophyletic within the subtribe Odocoileina, with Odocoileus as sister taxa. Morphological and genetic characteristics of O. pandora agrees in differencing the Yucatan brown brocket from Mazama and Odocoileus genera. Therefore, a new generic name should be indicated for this taxon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infectious diseases play an important role in wildlife population dynamics by altering individual fitness, but detecting disease-driven natural selection in free-ranging populations is difficult due to complex disease-host relationships. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal infectious prion disease in cervids for which mutations in a single gene have been mechanistically linked to disease outcomes, providing a rare opportunity to study disease-driven selection in wildlife. In Wyoming, USA, CWD has gradually spread across mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) populations, producing natural variation in disease history to evaluate selection pressure. We used spatial variation and a novel temporal comparison to investigate the relationship between CWD and a mutation at codon 225 of the mule deer prion protein gene that slows disease progression. We found that individuals with the slow 225F allele were less likely to test positive for CWD, and the 225F allele was more common in herds exposed to CWD longer. We also found that in the past 2 decades, the 225F allele frequency increased more in herds with higher CWD prevalence. This study expanded on previous research by analysing spatio-temporal patterns of individual and herd-based disease data to present multiple lines of evidence for disease-driven selection in free-ranging wildlife.

In cervids, blood biochemical markers may reflect changes in various physiological and environmental factors, especially in response to changes in metabolism following nutrient supplementation or the manipulation of hormone production. Decreasing androgen production through immunocastration (IC) to ease the husbandry of male animals is currently a more ethically acceptable method than physical castration, but its commercial use is unexplored in fallow deer. Forty yearlings male fallow deer were grouped into four treatment combinations: IC on high (200 g commercial pellets + 600 g concentrate mixture of 90% oats and 10% wheat grains) or low (100 g commercial pellets + 300 g concentrate mixture of 90% oats and 10% wheat grains) level of feed supplementation, or noncastrated bucks on a high or low level of feed supplementation. Immunocastrated animals were vaccinated at the start of the study (Week 1) and again during Week 3 of the study. Diet affected all body growth parameters (slaughter weight, daily gain, carcass weight, dressing percentage and body condition score). Fallow deer from all treatments showed increasing concentrations of fat and energy blood biochemical markers over the study period, including plasma glucose (GLU) and triglyceride (TRIG), and decreased cholesterol (CHOL) and lipase (LIPA) concentrations. The higher level of supplementary feeding decreased plasma albumin (ALB) and creatinine (CREA), and increased globulin (GLOB) concentrations. On the other hand, IC and lower‐level supplementation reduced growth performance. Overall, IC may be an interesting tool for welfare management of yearling stags for slaughter; however, the advantage appears to only be in well‐fed animals, as low‐level of feeding can further reduce growth performance in immunocastrated animals. Further studies should evaluate the carcass performance of animals under similar treatment conditions to ascertain the effects on muscle and fat yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Monitoring the behavior of wild animals in situ can improve our understanding of how their behavior is related to their habitat and affected by disturbances and changes in their environment. Moose (Alces alces) are keystone species in their boreal habitats, where they are facing environmental changes and disturbances from human activities. How these potential stressors can impact individuals and populations is unclear, in part due to our limited knowledge of the physiology and behavior of moose and how individuals can compensate for stress and disturbances they experience. We collected data from collar-mounted fine-scale tri-axial accelerometers deployed on captive moose in combination with detailed behavioral observations to train a random forest supervised classification algorithm to classify moose accelerometer data into discrete behaviors. To investigate the generalizability of our model to collared new individuals, we quantified the variation in classification performance among individuals. Results: Our machine learning model successfully classified 3-s accelerometer data intervals from 12 Alaskan moose (A. a. gigas) and two European moose (A. a. alces) into seven behaviors comprising 97.6% of the 395 h of behavioral observations conducted in summer, fall and spring. Classification performance varied among behaviors and individuals and was generally dependent on sample size. Classification performance was highest for the most common behaviors lying with the head elevated, ruminating and foraging (precision and recall across all individuals between 0.74 and 0.90) comprising 79% of our data, and lower and more variable among individuals for the four less common behaviors lying with head down or tucked, standing, walking and running (precision and recall across all individuals between 0.28 and 0.79) comprising 21% of our data. Conclusions: We demonstrate the use of animal-borne accelerometer data to distinguish among seven main behaviors of captive moose and discuss generalizability of the results to individuals in the wild. Our results can support future efforts to investigate the detailed behavior of collared wild moose, for example in the context of disturbance responses, time budgets and behavior-specific habitat selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2002, reports of deer with swollen muzzles from throughout the United States have resulted in significant interest by wildlife biologists and wildlife enthusiasts. The condition was identified in 25 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and 2 mule deer (O. hemionus). Microscopic lesions consisted of severe, granulomatous or pyogranulomatous inflammation of the muzzle, nasal planum, and upper lip, as well as similar but less severe inflammation of the hard palate. Lymphadenitis of regional lymph nodes was common and granulomatous pneumonia was present in one individual. Splendore-Hoeppli material was typical in the center of inflammatory foci. Other than the single instance of pneumonia, systemic disease was not evident. Various bacterial species were isolated in culture, most of which were not morphologically consistent with the colonies of small, gram-negative bacteria observed in the center of the granulomas. Amplification and sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene from tissues of affected deer resulted in the identification of Mannheimia granulomatis. Laser capture microdissection was used to confirm that the colonies in the inflammatory foci were M. granulomatis. The cases described here are reminiscent of a bovine disease in Brazil and Argentina, locally called lechiguana. Although the inflammation of lechiguana is mostly truncal, the microscopic lesions are very similar and are also attributed to M. granulomatis. It is unclear if this is an emerging infectious disease of deer, or if it is a sporadic, uncommon condition that has only recently been recognized.

SARS-CoV-2 was first reported circulating in human populations in December 2019 and has since become a global pandemic. Recent history involving SARS-like coronavirus outbreaks have demonstrated the significant role of intermediate hosts in viral maintenance and transmission. Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 natural infection and experimental infections of a wide variety of animal species has been demonstrated, and in silico and in vitro studies have indicated that deer are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. White-tailed deer (WTD) are amongst the most abundant and geographically widespread wild ruminant species in the US. Recently, WTD fawns were shown to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. In the present study, we investigated the susceptibility and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in adult WTD. In addition, we examined the competition of two SARS-CoV-2 isolates, representatives of the ancestral lineage A and the alpha variant of concern (VOC) B.1.1.7 through co-infection of WTD. Next-generation sequencing was used to determine the presence and transmission of each strain in the co-infected and contact sentinel animals. Our results demonstrate that adult WTD are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and can transmit the virus through direct contact as well as vertically from doe to fetus. Additionally, we determined that the alpha VOC B.1.1.7 isolate of SARS-CoV-2 outcompetes the ancestral lineage A isolate in WTD, as demonstrated by the genome of the virus shed from nasal and oral cavities from principal infected and contact animals, and from the genome of virus present in tissues of principal infected deer, fetuses and contact animals.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious and fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting species of the cervidae family. CWD has an expanding geographic range and complex, poorly understood transmission mechanics. CWD is disproportionately prevalent in wild male mule deer and male white-tailed deer. Sex and species influences on CWD prevalence have been hypothesized to be related to animal behaviours that involve deer facial and body exocrine glands. Understanding CWD transmission potential requires a foundational knowledge of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) in glands associated with cervid behaviours. In this study, we characterized the presence and distribution of PrPC in six integumentary and two non-integumentary tissues of hunter-harvested mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed deer (O. virginianus). We report that white-tailed deer expressed significantly more PrPC than their mule deer in the parotid, metatarsal, and interdigital glands. Females expressed more PrPC than males in the forehead and preorbital glands. The distribution of PrPC within the integumentary exocrine glands of the face and legs were localized to glandular cells, hair follicles, epidermis, and immune cell infiltrates. All tissues examined expressed sufficient quantities of PrPC to serve as possible sites of prion initial infection, propagation, and shedding.

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Background: Classical scrapie is a prion disease of sheep and goats that is associated with accumulation of abnormal prion protein (PrPSc) in the central nervous and lymphoid tissues. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the prion disease of cervids. This study was conducted to determine the susceptibility of white-tailed deer (WTD) to the classical scrapie agent.Methods: We inoculated WTD (n = 5) by a concurrent oral/intranasal exposure with the classical scrapie agent from sheep or oronasally with the classical scrapie agent from goats (n = 6).Results: All deer exposed to the agent of classical scrapie from sheep accumulated PrPSc. PrPSc was detected in lymphoid tissues at preclinical time points, and deer necropsied after 28 months post-inoculation had clinical signs, spongiform lesions, and widespread PrPSc in neural and lymphoid tissues. Western blots on samples from the brainstem, cerebellum, and lymph nodes of scrapie-infected WTD have a molecular profile similar to CWD and distinct from samples from the cerebral cortex, retina, or the original classical scrapie inoculum. There was no evidence of PrPSc in any of the WTD inoculated with classical scrapie prions from goats.Conclusions: WTD are susceptible to the agent of classical scrapie from sheep and differentiation from CWD may be difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Dispersal is a fundamental process to animal population dynamics and gene flow. In white-tailed deer (WTD; Odocoileus virginianus), dispersal also presents an increasingly relevant risk for the spread of infectious diseases. Across their wide range, WTD dispersal is believed to be driven by a suite of landscape and host behavioral factors, but these can vary by region, season, and sex. Our objectives were to (1) identify dispersal events in Wisconsin WTD and determine drivers of dispersal rates and distances, and (2) determine how landscape features (e.g., rivers, roads) structure deer dispersal paths. Methods We developed an algorithmic approach to detect dispersal events from GPS collar data for 590 juvenile, yearling, and adult WTD. We used statistical models to identify host and landscape drivers of dispersal rates and distances, including the role of agricultural land use, the traversability of the landscape, and potential interactions between deer. We then performed a step selection analysis to determine how landscape features such as agricultural land use, elevation, rivers, and roads affected deer dispersal paths. Results Dispersal predominantly occurred in juvenile males, of which 64.2% dispersed, with dispersal events uncommon in other sex and age classes. Juvenile male dispersal probability was positively associated with the proportion of the natal range that was classified as agricultural land use, but only during the spring. Dispersal distances were typically short (median 5.77 km, range: 1.3–68.3 km), especially in the fall. Further, dispersal distances were positively associated with agricultural land use in potential dispersal paths but negatively associated with the number of proximate deer in the natal range. Lastly, we found that, during dispersal, juvenile males typically avoided agricultural land use but selected for areas near rivers and streams. Conclusion Land use—particularly agricultural—was a key driver of dispersal rates, distances, and paths in Wisconsin WTD. In addition, our results support the importance of deer social environments in shaping dispersal behavior. Our findings reinforce knowledge of dispersal ecology in WTD and how landscape factors—including major rivers, roads, and land-use patterns—structure host gene flow and potential pathogen transmission.

Prion diseases are a novel class of infectious disease based in the misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into a pathological, self-propagating isoform (PrPSc). These fatal, untreatable neurodegenerative disorders affect a variety of species causing scrapie in sheep and goats, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids, and Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD) in humans. Of the animal prion diseases, CWD is currently regarded as the most significant threat due its ongoing geographical spread, environmental persistence, uptake into plants, unpredictable evolution, and emerging evidence of zoonotic potential. The extensive efforts to manage CWD have been largely ineffective, highlighting the need for new disease management tools, including vaccines. Development of an effective CWD vaccine is challenged by the unique biology of these diseases, including the necessity, and associated dangers, of overcoming immune tolerance, as well the logistical challenges of vaccinating wild animals. Despite these obstacles, there has been encouraging progress towards the identification of safe, protective antigens as well as effective strategies of formulation and delivery that would enable oral delivery to wild cervids. In this review we highlight recent strategies for antigen selection and optimization, as well as considerations of various platforms for oral delivery, that will enable researchers to accelerate the rate at which candidate CWD vaccines are developed and evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haploidoceros mediterraneus is one of the recently described cervid taxa endemic to the Iberian Peninsula (three sites) and southern France (two sites). Compared to the other endemic cervids from Iberia that have emerged, as well, during the mid-Middle Pleistocene, its chronological and geographical range are more expanded, indicative of a relative adaptative success. However, very little is known about H. mediterraneus ecology. From site contexts and faunal associations, its habitat during the Middle and Late Pleistocene corresponded to open forest under a mildly-humid temperate Mediterranean or semi-continental climate. First, its diet was reconstructed using dental meso- and microwear and second, its relationships with other cervids over time was analysed using Multiple Component Analysis (MCA). Diet reconstruction indicates that it was mostly a browse-dominated mixed-feeder during the Middle Pleistocene. Such a relatively flexible diet has allowed it to coexist, often with some cervid taxa (Cervus and Capreolus) and exceptionally with others (Praedama / Megaloceros and Dama sp.) by resource partitioning. During the Late Pleistocene, H. mediterraneus shifted toward a more browse-specialized diet. At this period, co-occurrence analyses show that the presence of H. mediterraneus seems to exclude that of C. capreolus and D. dama. The evolution of H. mediterraneus dietary habits from the Middle to the Late Pleistocene may have led to direct competition with other browsing-specialist cervids, which may be one of the causes of its extinction. • The H. mediterraneus diet ranged from browse-dominated mixed-feeding during Middle Pleistocene to more browsing during Late Pleistocene. • H. mediterraneus dietary specialization through time may have led to direct competition with browsing-specialist species: C. capreolus and Dama sp. • Competition with other browse-dominated diet cervids may have led to H. mediterraneus extinction during early Late Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prion diseases are a novel class of infectious disease based in the misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into a pathological, self-propagating isoform (PrPSc). These fatal, untreatable neurodegenerative disorders affect a variety of species causing scrapie in sheep and goats, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids, and Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD) in humans. Of the animal prion diseases, CWD is currently regarded as the most significant threat due its ongoing geographical spread, environmental persistence, uptake into plants, unpredictable evolution, and emerging evidence of zoonotic potential. The extensive efforts to manage CWD have been largely ineffective, highlighting the need for new disease management tools, including vaccines. Development of an effective CWD vaccine is challenged by the unique biology of these diseases, including the necessity, and associated dangers, of overcoming immune tolerance, as well the logistical challenges of vaccinating wild animals. Despite these obstacles, there has been encouraging progress towards the identification of safe, protective antigens as well as effective strategies of formulation and delivery that would enable oral delivery to wild cervids. In this review we highlight recent strategies for antigen selection and optimization, as well as considerations of various platforms for oral delivery, that will enable researchers to accelerate the rate at which candidate CWD vaccines are developed and evaluated.

Semen collection by electroejaculation under general anesthesia is a frequent method used in wild animal species. The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two anesthetic protocols (ketamine/detomidine (KD) or ketamine/xylazine (KX) for semen collection with electroejaculation in pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus) males. Also, compared the physiological and hematological changes with the two anesthetic protocols. Seven pampas deer males were anesthetized with both protocol in an overcorssed design, reverting the anesthesia with atipamezole in both protocols. The induction time, recovery time, and the time of the anesthesia procedures did not differ between both anesthetic protocols. The heart rate was greater when animals were anesthetized with KD than when KX was used (55.33 ± 2.7 bpm vs 45.12 ± 2.6 bpm; P = 0.05). Although there was no difference according to the anesthetic protocol, the oximetry values were below those considered normal in other species. When animals were treated with the KD, the red blood cell number, hematocrit, and hemoglobin concentration were greater than with the KX protocol (17.1 ± 1.3 ×106/µL vs 15.9 ± 1.3 ×106/µL; P = 0.006; 47.2 ± 3.4% vs 43.9 ± 3.4%; P = 0.008; and 14.8 ± 0.8 g/dL vs 13.8 ± 0.8 g/dL P = 0.01, respectively). Less number of electrical pulses were required for ejaculation in animals treated with KX than with KD (39.8 ± 2.6 vs 52.4 ± 2.6, P = 0.04). In samples collected from animals treated with KD, the total number of sperm with integral acrosome was lower, but the percentage of sperm with normal morphology was greater than in animals treated with KX (67.8 ± 67.0 × 106 sperm vs 243.1 ± 71.6 × 106, P = 0.03 and 40.0 ± 2.3% vs 30.6 ± 2.7%, P = 0.02; respectively). In conclusion, the use of KX induced less physiological changes, appearing also advantageous in semen quality.

Background: Dispersal is a fundamental process to animal population dynamics and gene flow. In white-tailed deer (WTD; Odocoileus virginianus), dispersal also presents an increasingly relevant risk for the spread of infectious diseases. Across their wide range, WTD dispersal is believed to be driven by a suite of landscape and host behavioral factors, but these can vary by region, season, and sex. Our objectives were to (1) identify dispersal events in Wisconsin WTD and determine drivers of dispersal rates and distances, and (2) determine how landscape features (e.g., rivers, roads) structure deer dispersal paths. Methods: We developed an algorithmic approach to detect dispersal events from GPS collar data for 590 juvenile, yearling, and adult WTD. We used statistical models to identify host and landscape drivers of dispersal rates and distances, including the role of agricultural land use, the traversability of the landscape, and potential interactions between deer. We then performed a step selection analysis to determine how landscape features such as agricultural land use, elevation, rivers, and roads affected deer dispersal paths. Results: Dispersal predominantly occurred in juvenile males, of which 64.2% dispersed, with dispersal events uncommon in other sex and age classes. Juvenile male dispersal probability was positively associated with the proportion of the natal range that was classified as agricultural land use, but only during the spring. Dispersal distances were typically short (median 5.77 km, range: 1.3–68.3 km), especially in the fall. Further, dispersal distances were positively associated with agricultural land use in potential dispersal paths but negatively associated with the number of proximate deer in the natal range. Lastly, we found that, during dispersal, juvenile males typically avoided agricultural land use but selected for areas near rivers and streams. Conclusion: Land use—particularly agricultural—was a key driver of dispersal rates, distances, and paths in Wisconsin WTD. In addition, our results support the importance of deer social environments in shaping dispersal behavior. Our findings reinforce knowledge of dispersal ecology in WTD and how landscape factors—including major rivers, roads, and land-use patterns—structure host gene flow and potential pathogen transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mazama gouazoubira (Fischer [von Waldheim], 1814) is an ungulate commonly called gray brocket deer. Six morphological forms have been described, but it is currently considered as monotypic. It is a widespread medium-sized cervid, sexually dimorphic with males having antlers. The geographic distribution of M. gouazoubira extends from the southern Amazon region to northern Argentina and Uruguay and stretches from east of the dry Andean range in Argentina and Bolivia, to the Atlantic Coast. It is the most abundant species of brocket deer in South America. Habitat loss and hunting are considered the major threats and it is listed as "Least Concern" (LC) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies reported a high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among white-tailed deer in North America. Monitoring cervids in all regions to better understand SARS-CoV-2 infection and circulation in other deer populations has been urged. To evaluate deer exposure and/or infection to/by SARS-CoV-2 in Poland, we sampled 90 red deer shot by hunters in five hunting districts in north-eastern Poland. Serum and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected, and then an immunofluorescent assay (IFA) to detect anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was performed as well as real-time PCR with reverse transcription for direct virus detection. No positive samples were detected. There is no evidence of spillover of SARS-CoV-2 from the human to deer population in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trophic interactions between mobile animals and their food sources often vector resource flows across ecosystem boundaries. However, the quality and quantity of such ecological subsidies may be altered by indirect interactions between seemingly unconnected taxa. We studied whether emergent macrophytes growing at the aquatic–terrestrial interface facilitate multi‐step aquatic‐to‐terrestrial resource flows between streams and terrestrial herbivores. We also explored whether aquatic animal aggregations indirectly promote such resource flows by creating biogeochemical hotspots of nutrient cycling and availability.We tested whether white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in eastern North America vector nutrient fluxes from streams to terrestrial ecosystems by consuming emergent macrophytes (Justicia americana) using isotope and nutrient analyses of fecal samples and motion‐sensing cameras. We also tested whether mussel‐generated biogeochemical hotspots might promote such fluxes by surveying the density and nutrient stoichiometry of J. americana beds growing in association with variable densities of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionoida).Fecal samples from riparian deer had 3% lower C:N and 20% lower C:P ratios than those in upland habitats. C and N isotopes suggested riparian deer ate both terrestrial and aquatic (J. americana) vegetation, whereas upland deer ate more terrestrial foods. Motion‐sensing cameras showed deer eating J. americana more than twice as frequently at mussel‐generated hotspots than non‐mussel sites. However, mussels were not associated with variation in J. americana growth or N and P content—although N isotopes in J. americana leaves did suggest assimilation of animal‐derived nutrients.Our findings suggest that white‐tailed deer may conduct significant transfers of aquatic‐derived nutrients into terrestrial habitats when they feed on macrophytes and defecate on land. Whether aquatic animal aggregations promote such resource flows by creating biogeochemical hotspots remains unresolved, but the nearly global distributions of the deer family (Cervidae) and of macrophytes suggest that cervid‐driven aquatic‐to‐terrestrial nutrient flows may be widespread and ecologically important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prion diseases are incurable neurodegenerative disorders caused by proteinase K‐resistant prion protein (PrPSc) derived from normal prion protein (PrPC) encoded by the prion protein gene (PRNP). Although the cervid PRNP gene plays a pivotal role in the pathological mechanism of chronic wasting disease (CWD), there is no existing association analysis between susceptibility to CWD and genetic polymorphisms of the PRNP gene in sika deer. We investigated genetic polymorphisms of the PRNP gene using amplicon sequencing in sika deer. In addition, to identify a genetic susceptibility factor, we compared the genotype, allele and haplotype frequencies of the PRNP gene between CWD‐positive and CWD‐negative sika deer. Furthermore, to assess the effect of the genetic polymorphisms on sika deer prion protein (PrP), we performed in silico analysis using PolyPhen‐2, PROVEAN and AMYCO. Finally, we analysed the tertiary structure and electrostatic potential of sika deer PrP based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using the SWISS‐MODEL and Swiss‐PdbViewer programs. We found a total of 24 SNPs of the PRNP gene, including 22 novel SNPs (10 synonymous SNPs and 12 nonsynonymous SNPs), in sika deer. Among the nonsynonymous SNPs, we found a strong association of susceptibility to CWD with c.56G > A (Ser19Asn). In addition, we found that c.56G > A (Ser19Asn), c.296A > T (His99Leu) and c.560T > A (Val187Asp) were predicted to have damaging effects on sika deer PrP. Furthermore, we observed significant alterations in the electrostatic potential of sika deer PrP by genetic polymorphisms of the 187Asp allele. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first association study between genetic polymorphisms of the PRNP gene and susceptibility to CWD in sika deer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adenoviruses cause a range of major diseases across many diverse animal species including ruminants. They are classified into six genera in the family Adenoviridae. In deer species, two adenoviruses are currently recognized: deer adenovirus 1 in the Atadenovirus genus, and deer adenovirus 2 in the Mastadenovirus genus. Deer adenovirus 1 causes adenovirus haemorrhagic disease with high fatality in black‐tailed and mule deer in North America. Conversely, deer adenovirus 2 was incidentally detected from a healthy white‐tailed deer fawn, but experimentally it has been shown to cause pyrexia, cough and moderate to severe haemorrhage. Here, we detected a novel adenovirus, reindeer adenovirus 1, from lung lesions of a 5‐year‐old male reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). This animal presented with aspiration pneumonia and necrotizing bronchiolitis following a period of clinical weakness, nasal discharge and wasting. Histopathological examination of the lung revealed large intranuclear basophilic inclusions associated with the areas of necrotizing bronchiolitis. Next generation sequencing of the lung tissue identified a novel mastadenovirus with close similarity to deer adenovirus 2 and bovine adenovirus 3. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a deer mastadenovirus associated with necrotizing bronchiolitis in captive reindeer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Blastocerus dichotomus is the largest deer in South America. We have used 25 microsatellite markers detected and genotyped by Next Generation Sequencing to estimate the genetic variability of B. dichotomus in Argentina, where most of its populations are threatened. Primer design was based on the sequence of a shallow partial genome (15,967,456 reads; 16.66% genome coverage, mean depth 1.64) of a single individual. From the thousands of microsatellite loci found, even under high stringency selection, we chose and tested a set of 80 markers on 30 DNA samples extracted from tissue and feces from three Argentinean populations. Heterozygosity levels were low across all loci in all populations (H=0.31 to 0.40). Amplicon sequencing is a fast, easy, and affordable technique that can be very useful for the characterization of microsatellite marker sets for the conservation genetics of non-model organisms. This work is also one of the first ones to use amplicon sequencing in non-invasive samples and represents an important development for the study of threatened species.

To investigate the pharmacokinetics of orally and intravenously (IV) administered meloxicam in semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus). A crossover design with an 11 day washout period. A total of eight young male reindeer, aged 1.5–2.5 years and weighing 74.3 ± 6.3 kg, mean ± standard deviation. The reindeer were administered meloxicam (0.5 mg kg–1 IV or orally). Blood samples were repeatedly collected from the jugular vein for up to 72 hours post administration. Plasma samples were analysed for meloxicam concentrations with ultraperformance liquid chromatography combined with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Noncompartmental analysis for determination of pharmacokinetic variables was performed. The pharmacokinetic values, median (range), were determined. Elimination half-life (t ½) with the IV route (n = 4) was 15.2 (13.2–16.8) hours, the volume of distribution at steady state was 133 (113–151) mL kg−1 and clearance was 3.98 (2.63–5.29) mL hour–1 kg–1. After oral administration (n = 7), the peak plasma concentration (C max) was detected at 6 hours, t ½ was 19.3 (16.7–20.5) hours, C max 1.82 (1.17–2.78) μg mL–1 and bioavailability (n = 3) 49 (46–73)%. No evident adverse effects were detected after either administration route. A single dose of meloxicam (0.5 mg kg–1 IV or orally) has the potential to maintain the therapeutic concentration determined in other species for up to 3 days in reindeer plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male infanticide has been reported in wide range of mammalian taxa however it remains very rare in even-toed ungulates where it was documented in two species only. Among six hypotheses explaining this phenomenon, the sexual selection hypothesis is supported by the largest evidence in mammals. Here, we report the first case of male infanticide in sika deer (Cervus nippon) which occurred at Ostrava Zoo. At the end of rutting season, new male had been joined with two pregnant females that successfully gave birth and reared offspring in his presence then. However, in the next season, the same male attacked and killed his own newborn female offspring. Since this male was separated from the herd for most of the time in the rut, we argue that he could be confused about paternity. Therefore, this case of infanticide might be driven by the same mechanism as that which is in line with the sexual selection hypothesis. In addition, based on our evidence we cannot reject the social pathology hypothesis as an alternative explanation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the protein composition of the follicular fluid from brown brocket deer would aid the development of a medium for in vitro embryo production, which would in turn contribute toward programs for species preservation. Proteomic shotgun is a sensitive tool for analysis of complex protein mixtures. Thus, this study aimed to use shotgun technique to investigate the proteome of fluid from small/medium and large follicles from brocket brown deer. The fluid was obtained by laparoscopy-guided follicular puncture from five females. Quantitative proteomic analysis was performed by multidimensional liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. A total of 226 proteins were identified in the follicular fluid, 53 and 60 of which were found only in small/medium and large follicles, respectively. One hundred and thirteen proteins were common to both groups of follicles. Quantitative analysis showed no significant differences (P > 0.05) in protein abundances in the follicular fluid from small/medium and large follicles. The proteins identified were classified by gene ontology terms, in silico interaction and assigned to 12 pathways indicated that proteins are involved in protein binding, catalytic activity, regulation of biological processes, extracellular matrix organization, and complement and coagulation cascades. In conclusion, these data add knowledge on the follicular development and provide original information on the follicular environment, which can contribute in the future to formulation of culture medium to use in embryo technology in brown brocket deer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimated the probabilities of detecting one or more chronic wasting disease (CWD) cases (Pdet) in free-ranging cervids in the continental US during 1997 - 2001. Based on sample sizes reported by respective state authorities at the time and a target for detectable apparent prevalence (i.e., a design prevalence) of 0.001 (one positive per 1,000 animals statewide), estimated Pdet were <50% for 39/46 states where CWD had not been detected in the wild prior to 1997 and were <5% in 20/26 states located east of the Mississippi River. The survey designs and sample sizes reported by most states prior to 2002 would have yielded exceedingly small detection probabilities for focal CWD outbreaks. Although most CWD foci in the US were first detected in 2002 or after, the data presented here and elsewhere suggest it is plausible that an unknown number of these-some established perhaps decades earlier-were already present but had simply eluded detection. These data highlight uncertainty regarding timelines for CWD emergence in the US. Accepting-and to the extent possible quantifying-uncertainty in the historical distribution of CWD throughout the US seems a necessary foundation for better understanding its emergence, its drivers and patterns of spread, and its response to various interventions-past, present, and future., (© Wildlife Disease Association 2024.)

SARS-CoV-2 can infect wildlife, and SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern might expand into novel animal reservoirs, potentially by reverse zoonosis. White-tailed deer and mule deer of North America are the only deer species in which SARS-CoV-2 has been documented, raising the question of whether other reservoir species exist. We report cases of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in a fallow deer population located in Dublin, Ireland. Sampled deer were seronegative in 2020 when the Alpha variant was circulating in humans, 1 deer was seropositive for the Delta variant in 2021, and 12/21 (57%) sampled deer were seropositive for the Omicron variant in 2022, suggesting host tropism expansion as new variants emerged in humans. Omicron BA.1 was capable of infecting fallow deer lung type-2 pneumocytes and type-1-like pneumocytes or endothelial cells ex vivo. Ongoing surveillance to identify novel SARS-CoV-2 reservoirs is needed to prevent public health risks during human-animal interactions in periurban settings.

Abstract In Mediterranean areas, severe drought events are expected to intensify in forthcoming years as a consequence of climate change. These events may increase physiological and reproductive stress of wild populations producing demographic changes and distribution shifts. We used retrospective life tables to understand demographic changes on a wild population after severe drought events. We studied the impact of two extreme events (2003 and 2005) on the population dynamics of our model species, the red deer (Cervus elaphus). During both years, population density was high (40 and 36 ind/100 ha, respectively). Thus, we reconstructed retrospectively the age structure of the female part of the population for the period 2000–2010 by using data of known‐age individuals culled during the period 2000–2019 (n = 4176). Also, based on previous study results, we aimed to validate this methodology. Both extremely dry years, 2003 and 2005, produced marked and lasting cohort effects on population demography. Age pyramid the following years (2004 and 2006) revealed that the extreme drought caused the female fawn cohort to be similar or even smaller than the yearling cohort. Furthermore, these cohort effects were still perceptible 3 years after these severe events. Results agree with previous findings that showed a negative effect of severe drought events on female pregnancy rates and conception dates. Although simple, this study provides an empirical quantification of the demographic effects of severe drought events for a wild population which might be useful to understand future demographic changes under the context of climate change.

abstract: The brown brocket deer is a species of neotropical deer that is found in several regions of Brazil. Although not considered an endangered species, it can be used as a model for studies with somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in endangered species. Thus, this study aimed to verify the embryo development and nuclear gene expression in intraSCNT (bovine-bovine), interSCNT (deer-bovine) and in vitro fertilized (IVF) bovine embryos. Thus, from a culture of brown brocket deer fibroblasts and enucleated bovine oocytes, inter and intraspecific embryos were produced. In addition, a group of IVF bovine embryos was prepared. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was performed from the blastocysts obtained from each experimental group to analyze the expression of OCT4, T-FAM, GJA1, BAX and BCL2. The blastocyst rate was higher (P 0.05) among experimental groups. In conclusion, bovine cytoplast was able to reprogram the brown brocket deer karyoplast and these cloned embryos were able to reach the blastocyst stage. The inverse relationship for BAX and BCL2 can indicate a high degree of apoptosis in blastocysts from interSCNT.

In Mediterranean areas, severe drought events are expected to intensify in forthcoming years as a consequence of climate change. These events may increase physiological and reproductive stress of wild populations producing demographic changes and distribution shifts. We used retrospective life tables to understand demographic changes on a wild population after severe drought events. We studied the impact of two extreme events (2003 and 2005) on the population dynamics of our model species, the red deer (Cervus elaphus). During both years, population density was high (40 and 36 ind/100 ha, respectively). Thus, we reconstructed retrospectively the age structure of the female part of the population for the period 2000–2010 by using data of known‐age individuals culled during the period 2000–2019 (n = 4176). Also, based on previous study results, we aimed to validate this methodology. Both extremely dry years, 2003 and 2005, produced marked and lasting cohort effects on population demography. Age pyramid the following years (2004 and 2006) revealed that the extreme drought caused the female fawn cohort to be similar or even smaller than the yearling cohort. Furthermore, these cohort effects were still perceptible 3 years after these severe events. Results agree with previous findings that showed a negative effect of severe drought events on female pregnancy rates and conception dates. Although simple, this study provides an empirical quantification of the demographic effects of severe drought events for a wild population which might be useful to understand future demographic changes under the context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local-scale studies have shown that an overabundance of Cervidae species (deer, elk, moose) impacts forest bird communities. Through meta-analysis, we provide a generalized estimate of the overall direction and magnitude of the indirect effects overabundant cervids have on avian species. We conducted 2 distinct meta-analyses that synthesized data on 130 bird species collected from 17 publications. These analyses compared bird species' population abundance and/or species richness at sites with overabundant cervids to sites with lower cervid abundance or without cervids. We evaluated whether the impacts of overabundant cervids are generally in the same direction (positive, negative) across avian species and locations and if effects vary in magnitude according to avian nesting location and foraging habitat. We found that where cervids were overabundant, there was a significant decrease in mean bird population abundance and species richness. Species that nest in trees, shrubs, and on the ground showed the largest decreases in abundance, as did species whose primary habitat is forest and open woodland and species that are primarily insectivores or omnivores. We did not find significant decreases in abundance for avian species that nest in cavities, whose primary habitat is grassland or scrub, nor for species that mainly eat seeds. Our results indicate that overabundant cervids, likely through their direct effects on vegetation and indirect effects on insects and forest birds, negatively impact individual bird populations and decrease overall avian species richness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]