Transferred elk still quarantined over TB concerns
Elk transferred earlier this year from Kentucky are being held longer than planned in a northern Wisconsin quarantine pen due to a suspect bovine tuberculosis test on one animal, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
The elk, an adult cow, was euthanized in late June to allow for further testing. It along with the other 47 elk transferred in March to Wisconsin had cleared health checks for bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis prior to shipment from Kentucky.
Kevin Wallenfang, DNR big game ecologist, said the agency had a similar case in 2015 when elk were transferred from Kentucky to Jackson County to establish a herd in central Wisconsin. One elk at that time showed a suspect TB test and was euthanized. Later test results allowed the DNR to release the animals following an additional quarantine period.
“We’re proceeding with all due caution and are hopeful the follow-up work clears the animals this time too,” Wallenfang said.
The number of elk held from this year’s transfer has swelled in recent weeks due to births in the pen in the Flambeau River State Forest. At least 14 calves have been born, Wallenfang said.
Most of the calves were born in late May through mid-June, but one was born last week, according to the DNR. The additional holding time will be beneficial to the calves survival as they gain strength and grow prior to release into the wild.
Wallenfang said the elk are observed daily in the 7-acre holding pen but the exact number of calves isn’t known as DNR staff “doesn’t want to pester” the animals.
The only mortality known in the pen is the loss of the cow with the suspect TB test. If the remainder of the elk survive and are released, at least 61 elk will be added to the northern Wisconsin herd, pushing the area’s elk count close to 300.
The herd started in 1995 with a reintroduction project when 25 elk were transferred from Michigan and released near Clam Lake.
Last year 31 elk were transferred from Kentucky to the northern herd. In 2015 and 2016, elk were transferred from Kentucky near Black River Falls to establish a herd in central Wisconsin.
This year marked the final transfer of elk from Kentucky, part of a five-year agreement between the states that allowed a maximum of 150 elk to be brought to Wisconsin. No elk in Kentucky has been found with bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis or chronic wasting disease, critical factors as the DNR arranged for the inter-state transfer.
Original plans called for at least a 120-day quarantine period, including about 45 days in Kentucky and the balance in Wisconsin.
With the additional testing for bovine tuberculosis, the earliest the elk would be released from the holding pen in Flambeau River State Forest is late August, Wallenfang said.
Each animal, including newborn calves, has been fitted with a GPS tracking collar to provide useful movement, habitat preference and survival data after release.
To reduce stress on the elk, the DNR is asking the public to avoid the general vicinity of the holding pen.
Partners in this year’s elk transfer include the DNR, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Flambeau River State Forest and U.S. Forest Service.