|
Q |
What
is Wildlife? |
A |
The
B.C. Wildlife Act defines wildlife as all
native and some non-native amphibians, reptiles,
birds, mammals that live in B.C. For some provisions
of the Act, the definition includes fish, and
other B.C. legislation defines some insects and
plants as wildlife. |
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B.C.
is home to more than 1138 species of vertebrates,
including 488 bird species, 142 mammal species,
18 reptile species, 22 amphibian species, 83 freshwater
fish species and 368 saltwater fish species. |
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152 wildlife species and sub-species are considered
candidates for endangered, threatened, or vulnerable
status. Three of these are legally designated
(by the provincial government) as endangered
in BC: the Burrowing Owl, and the American White
Pelican and the Vancouver Island Marmot. The
Sea Otter is designated as Threatened. Other
species are under consideration for listing. |
Q |
Who
manages wildlife? |
A |
Management of wildlife in Canada is shared
by the federal, provincial, and territorial
governments. Federal responsibility includes
protection and management of migratory birds
as well as nationally significant wildlife habitat,
and responsibilities for endangered species,
control of international trade in endangered
species, research on wildlife issues of national
importance, and international wildlife treaties
and issues.
For the most part, provincial and territorial
wildlife agencies are responsible for all other
wildlife matters. These include conservation
and management of wildlife populations and habitat
within their borders, issuing licenses and permits
for fishing, game hunting, and trapping, guidelines
for safe angling and trapping and outfitting
policies. |
Q |
What
are the biggest threats to wildlife? |
A |
The
biggest threats to wildlife are activities that
destroy habitat. For example, urbanization (replacing
greenspace (rural) areas with cities and towns)
is destroying wetlands - home to species such
as the Sandhill Crane and the Great Basin Spadefoot
Toad. |
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The Ministry of Environment
works with other agencies to conserve species
and habitats and reduce the risks to wildlife
from humans. For example:
- The Habitat Conservation Trust Fund gives
more than $5 million a year to fish and wildlife
conservation projects. Most of its funds come
from surcharges on angling, hunting, trapping
and guide-outfitting licence fees. Hunting
is a way of life for many British Columbians.
Our strict hunting regulations help to conserve
wildlife species and habitats;
- The Conservation Data Centre (CDC), Ministry
of Sustainable Resource Management, identifies
"at risk" species and habitats and produces
information for scientists, naturalists and
the general public. (See our new Endangered
Species and Ecosystems in British Columbia
website);
- The Canadian Wildlife Service (part of Environment
Canada) handles federal wildlife matters,
and, with the provincial ministry, co-manages
migratory birds;
- Organizations like the BC Wildlife Federation
and the Federation of BC Naturalists help
conserve British Columbia's fish, wildlife,
park and outdoor recreational resources.
|
Q |
How
can I help? |
A |
Five
ways that YOU can help to save wildlife |
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Create
a home for birds and frogs in your own backyard,
patio, or neighbourhood. Use native plants in
your garden to help save them from extinction.
Need help? Call Naturescape toll-free:
1-800-387-9853. |
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Help
endangered species, for example, by adopting a
Vancouver Island Marmot. Visit the Vancouver Island
Marmot
homepage or call toll-free: 1-877-462-7668. |
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Join
a conservation organization or a habitat enhancement
project. |
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Encourage
friends, classmates or others to work together
on a project to enhance habitats, or raise money
for the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund. Call
toll-free: 1-800-387-9853. |
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Increase
your wildlife knowledge-join a natural history
society, visit the museum in person or on-line
at http://www.rbcm.gov.bc.ca;
see the BC
Conservation Data Centre or visit the Biodiversity
& Wildlife Branch website at http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/
; take a training program such as Conservation
Outdoor Recreation Education (CORE) call 1-800-533-2293
or go on-line at BC
Wildlife Federation. |
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Wildlife Health |
Q |
How do I
report an occurrence of a Wildlife Disease? |
A |
Understanding
animal health requires the collection of information
about the diseases and parasites that occur
in individuals and populations over time The
Wildlife Health Program is interested in reports
of these occurrences. Videos, written or oral
descriptions or even photographs can be valuable
sources of information. If you would like to
report an occurrence of wildlife disease, please
use the Disease
Surveillance Form found in the on-line Manual
of Common Diseases and Parasites of Wildlife
in Northern British Columbia to help collect
the appropriate information and/or samples,
and submit a copy of the completed form (and
samples) to your nearest Ministry
office, or contact the Ecosystems Branch's
Wildlife
Veterinarian. Thank you for your interest. |
Q |
I
found a dead crow and I was wondering if it has
"West Nile Virus". |
A |
"West
Nile Virus" has been identified in Alberta,
Saskatchewan and Manitoba as well as eastern
Canada, and recently in California (USA). A
cross-Canada disease survey (including BC) is
underway. For an update on the disease and answers
to some common concerns, as well as how to be
involved, see the Questions & Answers (pdf)
on the website for the BC
Centre for Disease Control. |
Q |
What
is the risk of contracting West Nile Virus from
either handling or consuming wild game birds? |
A |
There are no reported cases of West Nile virus
being contracted through the handling or consumption
of wild birds, however more research about the
disease is required. Available information indicates
that mosquitoes are the primary cause of the
spread of West Nile virus.
For more information, see:
BC Parks West Nile Virus Questions & Answers
BC
Centre for Disease Control
Ducks
Unlimited
U.S. National
Wildlife Health Centre
|
Q |
I've been
hearing a lot about Avian Influenza.
Does it affect wild birds as well as domestic
ones? Where can I find out more about it? |
A |
Strains
of Avian Influenza virus have been found in as
many as 90 species of wild birds around the world.
Find out more: Avian influenza and wild
birds (PDF
98KB). |
Q |
I
am a hunter and since I heard about CWD Chronic
Wasting Disease, I'm worried about eating
deer that I hunt in BC. Should I be? |
A |
At this time, Chronic Wasting Disease is not
believed to occur in British Columbia or in
any wild cervids in neighbouring jurisdictions.
CWD infections in game farmed elk and wild deer
in Canada is believed to be linked directly
or indirectly to contact with infected elk on
game farms. British Columbia has never permitted
the farming of native species of deer or elk,
and BC does not permit the import of any native
cervid species into the province. In addition,
there are significant geographical and spatial
barriers to animal movement between areas where
deer or elk are infected with this disease and
our borders.
If you are hunting in other jurisdictions,
especially in US states where the disease is
more common, the following is important advice
to follow:
Although there is no evidence to suggest that
CWD can infect humans, experts recommend that
all products from animals known to be infected
with CWD should not be used for human food.
As a minimum, hunters in areas where CWD has
been identified should avoid eating the brain,
spinal cord, eyes, tonsils, spleen or lymph
nodes of deer and elk.
Due to uncertainties associated with the transmission
of CWD, it is also recommended to transport
only the following parts of animals hunted in
areas where CWD has been diagnosed to minimize
any risk of spreading CWD:
1. Meat that is cut and wrapped (either
commercially or privately);
2. Quarters or other portions of meat with no
part of the spinal column or head attached;
3. Meat that has been boned out;
4. Hides with no skull attached;
5. Upper canine teeth, also known as bugler,
whistlers, or ivories;
6. Finished taxidermied heads.
7. Skull plates with the antlers attached if
the skull has been scraped with to eliminate
any tissue. The skull plate and cleaning utensils
should be cleaned with bleach.
It is recommended that you avoid moving the
brain, intact skull, or spinal cord from the
area of harvest. |
Q |
Chronic Wasting Disease...
What is it? |
A |
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal
disease of the central nervous system that
affects mule deer, white-tailed deer and elk.
CWD belongs to a group of diseases known as
transmissible spongiform encephalopathies
(TSEs). TSEs tend to be species specific and
not naturally transmitted between species.
Other TSEs include:
-
scrapie, identified in domestic
sheep and goats for more than 200 years;
-
bovine spongiform encephalopathy
in cattle (BSE or "mad cow disease");
-
Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease,
which occurs naturally in one of every million
humans; and
-
new variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob
disease in humans, which has been linked
to the large-scale outbreak of bovine spongiform
encephalopathy in cattle herds in Great
Britain.
|
Q |
What does CWD look
like? |
A |
Signs of the disease include
gradual weight loss and changes in behaviour.
In early stages of the disease the animal may
look normal, but in later stages affected animals
may show weight loss, drooling and difficulty
swallowing, increased drinking and urination,
poor coordination or stumbling, trembling or
depression. Signs may be present for days, weeks
or months before death. Difficulty swallowing
can lead to pneumonia and rapid death if feed
is breathed into the lungs or aspirated. After
infection with the CWD agent occurs, symptoms
may not appear for years. In captivity, infected
animals are usually 2 to 7 years old before
symptoms are noticed, but there have been younger
cases.
Infection appears to be fatal
in all cases. However, because the clinical
signs are quite nonspecific, CWD is not diagnosed
by the symptoms or by testing a live animal.
Laboratory and microscopic examination of a
small area of the base of the brain as well
as the tonsils and lymph nodes associated with
the head of deer are the only methods to confirm
the diagnosis of CWD. Research is continuing
on developing simpler tests, especially for
live animals. |
Q |
Where is CWD found? |
A |
The disease in mule deer was
first identified in the 1960s and monitoring
programs later identified the disease in deer
and elk in northeastern Colorado and adjoining
parts of Wyoming and Nebraska. At present, CWD
is recognized in wild free-ranging deer and
some elk in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, South
Dakota, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Illinois and
Utah.
CWD is or was present in game
farmed elk in a number of states (Montana, Minnesota,
Oklahoma, Kansas, South Dakota, Colorado, Wisconsin
and Nebraska), in Saskatchewan and, recently,
in a single elk and a single white tailed deer
on game farms in Alberta. A Canadian Food Inspection
Agency (CFIA) disease control program was initiated
in 2000 to eradicate the disease on infected
elk farms in Saskatchewan. Over 7500 animals
were destroyed with approximately 3% positive
for CWD. The CFIA CWD program has now expanded
to Alberta elk and deer farms.
Since the fall of 2000, 12 deer
harvested in Saskatchewan were confirmed to
be CWD positive. Wildlife agencies in Saskatchewan
and Alberta joined the CFIA and other disease
expects in an expanded control program that
includes wild deer herd reductions and intensive
sample collections to confirm the number and
distribution of infected wild deer. To
date, only these 12 positives have been found
in wild deer and elk surveillance programs in
BC, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba.
|
Q |
How is CWD transmitted? |
A |
An abnormal protein known
as a prion is believed to cause Chronic Wasting
Disease, but the exact method(s) of transmission
is not understood. Experimental and circumstantial
evidence suggests infected deer and elk probably
transmit the disease through animal contact
and/or contamination of feed or water sources
with saliva, urine and/or feces. |
Q |
Is there a risk to
humans? |
A |
There is no evidence that
CWD can infect humans. As a precaution, the
World Health Organization and other human experts
recommend that all products from animals known
to be infected with an prion disease should
not be used for human food. As a minimum, experts
suggest that hunters in areas where CWD has
been identified should avoid eating the brain,
spinal cord, eyes, tonsils, spleen or lymph
nodes of deer and elk because the infectious
agent tends to concentrate in those tissues. |
Q |
Is CWD in British
Columbia? |
A |
All CWD infections in game
farmed elk and wild deer in Canada appear to
be linked directly or indirectly to contact
with infected cervids from affected areas in
the USA. British Columbia has never permitted
the farming of native species of deer or elk,
and BC does not permit the import of any native
cervid species into the province. In addition,
there are significant geographical and spatial
barriers to animal movement between areas where
deer or elk are infected with this disease and
our borders. At this time, Chronic Wasting
Disease is not known to occur in British Columbia
or in any wild cervids in neighbouring jurisdictions. |
Q |
How can we learn more
about CWD? |
A |
British Columbia initiated a
CWD surveillance program of deer and elk during
2001. We do not expect to find the disease and
have not to date. This may be because of the
reasons above, however, the surveillance program
is necessary due to the concerns. Detection
of CWD or confirmation that it is not present
requires hard work and significant funding.
Our program primarily focuses on random surveys
of road kills and some hunter killed deer and
elk. Sick animals showings signs of
CWD are preferentially tested as they are considered
to be the most effective indicator of the disease's
presence. Regional MOE offices in
Cranbrook and Fort St. John are collecting road
mortalities and hunters and game cutters are
assisting with harvested animal samples to provide
brain samples.
Outdoor enthusiasts are
encouraged to report the location of live or
dead deer or elk with CWD-like signs to their
local Wildlife office or the Wildlife Veterinarian.
An animal of interest is a deer or elk of
18 months or older that is emaciated and shows
some of the following signs: abnormal behaviour,
drooling, increased drinking and urination,
stumbling, trembling and depression. |
For More
Information:
The following web sites provide
further information regarding CWD:
http://www.cwdinfo.org/
Canadian
Food Inspection Agency - Animal Health
http://www.scwds.org,
hit 'newsletters', the April 2002 issue, vol.
18, no. 1
http://www3.gov.ab.ca/srd/fw/diseases/
http://wildlife.state.co.us/CWD/index.asp
National
Wildlife Health Center
If you have further question or
wish additional information, please call your
local Wildlife office or the Wildlife Veterinarian
in Victoria at 250-953-4285. |
|
Species and Ecosystems
at Risk |
Q |
How are species at
risk legally protected in BC? |
A |
British Columbia has no
stand-alone endangered species act. The provincial
Wildlife
Act protects virtually all vertebrate
animals from direct harm, except as allowed by
regulation (e.g., hunting or trapping). Legal
designation as Endangered or Threatened under
the Act increases the penalties for harming a
species, and also enables the protection of habitat
in a Critical Wildlife Management Area. At present,
four species are legally designated: the Vancouver
Island Marmot (Marmota vancouverensis), American
White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchus), and
Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) as Endangered,
and the Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) as Threatened.
When the Wildlife
Amendment Act is brought into
force, invertebrates and plants will also be
eligible for listing, and residences of listed
species may be protected.
Species on the Red and Blue Lists affected
by forest and range practices are also eligible
for listing as a Category of Species at Risk
in the Forest
and Range Practices Act (FRPA) and the Private
Managed Forest Land Act. Once listed,
management tools enabled under FRPA, such as wildlife habitat areas and general
wildlife measures, can be used to address the species’ habitat requirements.
Species included in the Category of Species at Risk, along with regionally
important wildlife, are known as “Identified Wildlife”, and are
managed under the Identified Wildlife Management
Strategy (IWMS). The IWMS
provides direction,
policy, procedures and guidelines for managing Identified Wildlife. |
Q |
How are species ranked/listed
in BC and Canada? |
A |
Status Assessment and Legal
Listing of Species at Risk
A species at risk is a species that is extirpated,
endangered, threatened or of special concern
(Table 1). The status of species at risk in
Canada is assessed at both provincial and national
levels, and these processes inform one another.
Table 1: Species at Risk Definitions used
by the Committee on the Status of Endangered
Wildlife in Canada
Extinct (X) – No longer in existence
Extirpated (XT) – No longer existing
in the wild in a jurisdiction (e.g. country,
province, state), but existing elsewhere.
Endangered (E) – Facing imminent
extirpation or extinction.
Threatened (T) – Likely to become
endangered if limiting factors are not
reversed.
Special Concern (SC) – Particularly
sensitive to human activities or natural
events but not yet endangered or threatened. |
In British Columbia, specialists with the
Conservation
Data Centre, in consultation with other
experts, assign species conservation status
ranks according to a set of criteria developed
by the international organization NatureServe.
On the basis of these ranks, species are categorized
into a Red List (candidates for extirpated,
endangered or threatened status) and a Blue
List (species not immediately threatened, but
of concern).
Conservation Data Centres across Canada also
contribute information on the general status
of Canadian flora and fauna. This information
is summarized by the National General Status
Working Group, and is published once every
five years for the Canadian Endangered Species
Conservation Council in Wild
Species in Canada reports.
At the national level, assessments of the
status of species at risk are conducted by
the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife
in Canada (COSEWIC). Information from the National
General Status Working Group assists COSEWIC
in determining which species should be considered
for assessment. COSEWIC assessments are based
on status reports, which summarize the best-available
information on the biology of a species, including
information on habitat, population size, distribution
and trends.
COSEWIC status assessments form the basis
of advice to the federal cabinet on species
that will be considered for legal listing under
the Species
at Risk Act.
Provincially, vertebrate species on the provincial
Red List, or assessed by COSEWIC as extirpated,
endangered, threatened or special concern,
are among the candidates for legal listing
under the Wildlife
Act. When the Wildlife
Amendment Act is brought into force, invertebrates and
plants will be eligible for listing, and residences
may be prescribed for listed species. Species
on the Red and Blue Lists affected by forest
and range practices are also eligible for listing
as a Category of Species at Risk in the Forest
and Range Practices Act (FRPA) and the Private
Managed Forest Land Act. Once listed, management
tools enabled under FRPA, such as wildlife
habitat areas and general wildlife measures,
can be used to address the species’ habitat
requirements. Species included in the Category
of Species at Risk, along with regionally important
wildlife, are known as “Identified Wildlife”,
and are managed under the Identified
Wildlife Management Strategy (IWMS). The IWMS provides
direction, policy, procedures and guidelines
for managing Identified Wildlife.
An overview of the national and provincial
status assessments and listing processes is
provided in Figure 1.
1Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife
in Canada
2XT = Extirpated; E = Endangered; T = Threatened;
SC = Special Concern
|
Q |
How
many species are currently considered at risk
in British Columbia? |
A |
See
our new Endangered
Species and Ecosystems in British Columbia
website for the most up-to date numbers and
customized lists.
- 152 red- and blue-listed
(endangered/ threatened or vulnerable) terrestrial
vertebrates
- 39 red- and blue-listed
fish
- 600 red- and blue-listed
plants
- 241 red- and blue-listed
plant communities
- 141 red- and blue-listed
invertebrates
- 553 red- and blue-listed
non-vascular plants
|
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Identified Wildlife
Management Strategy |
Q |
What is
it, How are wildlife selected . . . |
A |
Answers
on website http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/identified/strategy_docs/faq.htm |
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|
Q |
Where
can I get information about species in British
Columbia? |
A |
An
excellent source is the new Endangered Species
and Ecosystems in British Columbia website,
and additional information can be found through
the Biodiversity & Wildlife publications
page, the State
of Environment website, or search through
the on-line Biodiversity Publications catalogue.
See also " Other Links" this
website. |
|
|
Q |
What do
we know about Grizzly Bears in British Columbia,
and what are we doing for their conservation? |
A |
|
|
|
Q |
Where
are White Sturgeon found,what is the status
of White Sturgeon in BC, and how is it determined?? |
A |
See
the White Sturgeon ( Acipenser transmontanus)
in British Columbia - FAQ on the status and
consequences of listing ( PDF
130KB) |
|
|
Q |
How many? |
A |
22
(September 2003) |
Q |
How much
area? |
A |
Total
231,516 ha |
Q |
How big? |
A |
Biggest
122,787 ha, smallest 17 ha |
|
|
Q |
What are
Wildlife Habitat Areas? |
A |
Wildlife
habitat areas are areas of limiting habitat
that are mapped and approved by the Chief Forester
and Deputy Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection.
Wildlife habitat areas are managed according
to specific management practices, known as general
wildlife measures (GWMs). General wildlife measures
may limit forest or range management practices
partially or entirely. |
Q |
What size
are WHAs? |
A |
Wildlife
Habitat Areas vary in size from one ha to 2400
ha, but the majority are less than 100 ha. For
each species a size or range of sizes has been
recommended but the actual dimensions of every
WHA will ultimately be determined by site specific
considerations. |
Q |
Are WHAs
protected areas? |
A |
Wildlife
habitat areas are not protected areas. They
are designated under the Forest Practices Code
as are other land designations such as old growth
management areas and ungulate winter ranges.
Wildlife habitat areas are managed according
to specific management practices, known as general
wildlife measures. General wildlife measures
may limit forest or range activities entirely
or partially. The level of development permitted
in the WHA is determined by the impact of the
proposed development on the species. For example,
a WHA may allow for roads but no timber harvesting
whereas another may allow for specific methods
of timber harvesting as long as a certain percentage
of canopy cover is maintained. |
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