The Pennsylvania Game Commission has updated its research and surveillance on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) for the 2023-24 deer season, revealing that 440 deer tested positive, up from 426 the previous year. The majority of cases were found in southcentral Pennsylvania. The Commission continues to use targeted management programs and containment zones to control the spread of this fatal neurological disease in deer and elk.
A raccoon attacked guests waiting in line for a roller coaster at Hersheypark, with video footage showing the animal running around and biting two people, including a little girl. The park responded by transporting the injured guests to a local hospital for observation and stated that guest safety is their top priority. The raccoon has not been captured since the incident, and a furbearer biologist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission commended the park's handling of the situation, noting that the frightened raccoon likely felt trapped and acted out of fear.
Two individuals were fined a total of over $7,000 for illegally shooting a trophy white-tailed deer from a car with headlights on in Portage Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania. They attempted to take the deer to a taxidermist with last year's tag on it, violating hunting regulations.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission has introduced new regulations to combat the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a deadly disease affecting deer. Hunters in regions with CWD must now be cautious in handling deer carcasses, either taking them to approved meat processing locations, processing them at home and disposing of carcasses properly, or processing them at the harvest location. Testing is recommended before consuming the meat. Blair and Huntingdon counties are among the most contaminated areas for CWD in the state.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission has introduced new regulations to combat the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a deadly disease affecting deer. Hunters in regions with CWD must now be cautious in handling deer carcasses, either taking them to approved locations for processing, processing them at home and disposing of carcasses properly, or processing them at the kill site. Testing is recommended before consuming the meat. Blair and Huntingdon counties are among the most contaminated areas for CWD in the state. The Game Commission provides resources for finding approved processors and collection bins for testing.
Officials in Lehigh Valley are warning residents about a possible sighting of a large cat, suspected to be a mountain lion, roaming around a residential neighborhood in Lower Macungie Township. Pennsylvania State Police have contacted the Pennsylvania Game Commission and are urging anyone who spots the cat to report it to the authorities.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission has determined that 30 to 40 deer found dead in Crawford County died from hemorrhagic disease, which is caused by viruses spread by biting midges. While elk and deer are susceptible to the infection, deer are more vulnerable, and large-scale mortality events have been recorded in the state in recent years. Hemorrhagic disease poses no danger to humans or pets, and the Game Commission is urging people to report sightings of two or more dead deer in the same area.
The highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in a mammal in the Lehigh Valley for the first time, with the H5N1 strain of the bird flu being found in a red fox collected in Northampton County. Of the 191 detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza in mammals, 42% have been in red foxes. The bird flu has also been found in other mammal species. The red fox that tested positive was an orphaned kit that was admitted to a local wildlife rehabilitation center after it was found alongside dead littermates. Federal agriculture officials recommend not touching or collecting sick or dead animals.
