The reason for writing this article was the collection of biologist-hunters in the House of scientists of Russian Academy of Sciences. Such events are always accompanied by interesting reports from experts of different fields, including for game breeding.
The first report was devoted to the importation into our country from the North American continent a large batch (about 300 individuals) white-tailed deer for the purpose of their placement and captive breeding in the private sector of the Voronezh region with the permission of the Ministry of agriculture and without coordination with the Ministry of environment. Present owners of these lands.
It was about the difficulties in delivery of animals and their acclimatization in a captive environment. All animals underwent veterinary examination according to the methods used in the determination of infectious and parasitic diseases. In addition, the report will learn that this is not the first experience of importation of alien species on the territory of Russia (was already deliveries to the Smolensk, Tver, Kaliningrad region). Interestingly, white-tailed deer live in our backyard in Finland. From neighbors single individuals cross the border and fall under the shots of local poachers who shoot them, because they are not registered in the register of game animals of Russia. And now they are going to enter in this list. Strange approach: animals factually, there is little, and in the list they will now.
The second report was devoted to the study of the sensitivity of our deer to little-known in Russia disease of a chronic wasting deer.
White-tailed deer is the most common deer in North America. Its magnitude is similar to Siberian ROE deer. Its name this type of obliged to the tail, the upper side is brown, and the lower white. Running away, the deer raises his tail, signaling the other dogs of the danger. The horns of males are Crescent-shaped, on each of the horns from four to seven shoots. The value of white-tailed deer is highly variable depending on the subspecies. The largest dwell in the Northern United States; the height at the withers is 1.0–1.1 m, males can weigh from 100 to 150 kg. Females are smaller. White-tailed deer is among the most common species of the deer family that have adapted to different habitats. This deer can be found in extensive forests and in prairies, marshes, semi-deserts. In South America it inhabits riparian forests, riparian shrub savanna and the Northern slopes of the Andes. After 200 days of gestation the females give birth to birth to one to four cubs. White-tailed deer feeds on leaves, grasses, buds, berries and other wild fruits, and bark. Americans jokingly say that after the bomb there will be only rats and “white-tail”, alluding to their unique geographical plasticity and fecundity.
I want to remind that the background of the introduction of white-tailed deer is well documented.It is believed that the Rosselkhoznadzor is trying to replace the population of wild boar and other ungulates, as the wild boar a danger for domestic swine. Now the situation has been cleared up. Obviously, the Rosselkhoznadzor throughout Russia tried contrary to the position of the Ministry of natural resources kordamentha to dislodge the boar. Hence the “oddities” with the spread in Russia of African swine fever, and the total extermination of animals that do not need the Ministry of agriculture, working in the interests of pig-breeding complexes, the dream is to completely destroy the wild population boar. The Ministry of nature categorically opposed to knocking out the boar, but to limit its population also considers it necessary, while in “strategy of development of the hunting economy”, it is noted that the replacement of ungulate population, like its growth in the field of breeding of deer, including the introduction of new species.
Now it is necessary to consider how things are going with the envisaged total replacement of the wild boar white-tailed deer. This animal is expected to breed while only in cages. The total value of trapping in North America, transportation, airfare, customs fees, once the freight and adaptation to local conditions, according to the breeders, can lead to the fact that hunting the whitetail deer, including a trophy, will cost 1500-2000 euros or more per head.
The question arises whether our simple hunter to pay 200,000 rubles for white-tailed deer is 10-12 thousand for a wild boar in the private hunting ground and 4-6 thousand in Oore. As for wealthy hunters, they are probably easier to hunt for the birthplace of this American miracle.
The fence, as it is known, will not be able to isolate the animal for a long time. Sooner or later some of the animals get out, and this is nothing like an impromptu introduction of alien species. Examples of ill-considered introductions of the raccoon dog, American mink, canadian beaver is well known. And if so, why not attend to the expansion of our own species than successfully engaged in all of Europe? First and foremost, it is necessary to stop the total destruction of the boar. Next on the list is the elk. Professionals are familiar with the Scandinavian experience of the relationship to the species. Almost completely destroyed forest reindeer. You can think about relocating bighorn sheep to the Urals. And who, in fact, been canceled Siberian ROE deer? Why not arrange kennels with maral, Manchurian deer, Sika deer and European? This is, first, the antlers, and secondly, gaining momentum captive hunting, thirdly, the source of resettlement in the private land where they will settle on. Prospects of the sea. But we always choose the most complicated and unnecessary.
Well, now it’s time to talk about the unpleasant — on the interspecific transfer of non-core our territory prion infection. We will talk about transmissible spongiform encephalopathy — a neurodegenerative disease with spongiforme changes in the brain and death.
White-tailed deer successfully acclimatized in the Czech Republic, Finland, New Zealand.
People identify Creutzfeldt-Jakob with his new variant syndrome Gerstmann-Straussler-Sheinker, Kuru and fatal family insomnia. Animals distinguish scrapie of sheep, spongiform encephalopathy in cattle (mad cow disease), chronic debilitating disease of deer, elk and other cloven-hoofed animals. By the way, remember the story fifteen years ago about this mad cow disease in England when the authorities were forced to score all cattle. Killed dozens of people, eating the meat of infected animals. The meat of Albion are not exported within five years.
In this case, we are interested in chronic wasting disease of deer, elk and other cloven-hoofed animals. This disease, first described for representatives of deer in North America, affects the nervous system and other organs of animals. For different types of deer and moose it is a serious threat because it spreads quickly and deadly. There are objective reasons related to the specifics of the spread of infectious diseases. First, unlike other forms of prion diseases, infection can occur not only through contact with sick animals or contact with the body of body parts of dead animals, but also with urine, feces and saliva. The agents — prions — a long time persist in the environment, in vegetation and in the soil. Secondly, experimental data showed that infection can occur not only between
individuals of the same species but also between members of different species. Currently, the Institute of ecology and evolution them.
A. N. Severtsova RAS Marina Kholodova, doctor of biological Sciences, began studies of the potential genetic predisposition/resistance ungulates Russia related to chronic wasting disease of deer. The obtained data lead to the disappointing conclusion that moose and deer that live in large parts of territory of Russia, are genetically protected from the disease chronic wasting deer. Methods of treatment is currently unknown. You must keep in mind the fact that quickly detect the diseased animal is impossible, because the incubation period is longer than keep the animal in quarantine. Reliable methods of treatment of prion diseases does not yet exist. In contrast to most other infectious agents, particularly viruses, prions are very resistant to various physical and chemical factors.
Over the past 20 years has developed a number of techniques for the diagnosis of prion diseases, and they are all designed for postmortem brain research. The main methods of diagnostics of this disease are the options of immunological analysis, namely immunohistochemical.
That is why the importation of deer from the New world is associated with a high risk of spreading the disease chronic wasting deer amongst moose, and reindeer of Russia. Practice of the introduction of the hunting economy of Russia exotic for us types white-tailed and mule deer from Canada and the USA can lead to serious consequences — almost to total extinction within a few years, the Russian deer, and elk.
