The Hook Lake Wood Bison Recovery Project: can a disease-free captive wood bison herd be recovered from a wild population infected with bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis?

Abstract

The Hook Lake Wood Bison Recovery Project (HLWBRP) is a wildlife conservation project aimed at recovering a captive, disease-free herd of wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) from a wild herd infected with bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) and brucellosis (Brucella abortus). The disease eradication protocol that we have used involves a combination of techniques, including (1) orphaning of newborn wild-caught calves to minimize exposure to B. abortus and M. bovis, (2) testing calves for maternal antibodies to brucellosis in the field prior to inclusion in the project, (3) isolating calves in pairs to prevent potential spread of disease, (4) prophylactic treatment using antimycobacterial and anti-Brucella drugs, and (5) an intensive whole-herd testing program for both diseases and removal of reactors. From 1996 to 1998, we captured a total of 62 calves; presently, 58 individuals comprise the founder herd. The captive-born cohorts consist of 7 two-year-olds, 21 yearlings, and 22 calves. To date, there have been no cases of bovine tuberculosis or brucellosis in the captive herd.