Culling

Chronic wasting disease has been detected in British Columbia deer, and we need to act now

Retrieved on: 
Friday, February 16, 2024

Since 1996, a deadly neurodegenerative disease of cervids (deer, elk, moose, caribou, reindeer) has been spreading across Canada.

Key Points: 
  • Since 1996, a deadly neurodegenerative disease of cervids (deer, elk, moose, caribou, reindeer) has been spreading across Canada.
  • On Jan. 31, 2024, chronic wasting disease (CWD) was detected for the first time in British Columbia in two deer.

Disease-causing proteins

  • The protein is similar to other normal proteins in the body, except it’s abnormally shaped.
  • The abnormal folding of these disease-causing prion proteins — which are found most abundantly in the brain — leads to brain damage that makes the brain appear like a sponge.
  • Other TSEs include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in people, bovine-spongiform encephalopathy (“mad cow disease”) in cows, and scrapie in sheep and goats.
  • This means that early detection and management is critical for reducing the impact of this disease.

British Columbia’s preparations

  • has established a surveillance program to detect CWD as soon as possible.
  • Our research suggests that a robust approach to such a difficult disease will require rapid, collective and collaborative action across sectors.
  • This approach must involve wildlife managers, hunters, local communities, First Nations and researchers to integrate a number of approaches.

Surveillance and management

  • Many CWD management programs rely on removing infected animals from the landscape.
  • While it is mandatory to submit the heads from hunted cervids in select management units in B.C., in most regions, submission is voluntary.
  • Hunters can participate in CWD management and surveillance by removing the head of the animal and submitting it to a local testing station or freezer for CWD testing.
  • The public can also participate in CWD surveillance and management by reporting signs of sick animals and vehicle collisions with cervids.
  • This is why testing cervids that have been killed by vehicles is also a critical component of CWD surveillance and management.

Curbing the spread

  • CWD can spread between animals through contact with bodily fluids.
  • Legal restrictions on carcass transport and the use of urine-based scents in hunting can also reduce the unintentional spread of CWD.
  • Research has shown that community-focused communication and engagement are essential for the success of CWD management efforts.
  • In the days ahead, fostering open dialogue and collaboration will be paramount towards an effective and sustainable effort against CWD.


Kaylee Byers is the Regional Deputy Director of the British Columbia Node of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative and collaborates with the Wildlife Health Program, which leads Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance in British Columbia. Sarah Robinson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Crocs love feral pigs and quolls have a taste for rabbit – but it doesn't solve the invasive species problem

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Across the vast Australian continent, feral pigs, feral deer and European rabbits roam in their millions.

Key Points: 
  • Across the vast Australian continent, feral pigs, feral deer and European rabbits roam in their millions.
  • By different names – wild boar, venison and lapin – these could all be served in a Michelin star restaurant.
  • Feral and invasive species are becoming popular meals for native wildlife too.

Of crocs and pigs

  • This seems like a much-needed good news story for the environment – a natural way to limit feral pigs, one of Australia’s most widespread and damaging invasive species.
  • At present, though, we don’t know for sure that crocs keep pig numbers down.
  • Together, this means feral pigs can endure relatively high predation rates and still persist in ecosystems in large numbers.

Of quolls and rabbits

  • Unfortunately, quolls are now absent or still declining in many places, due likely to competition or predation with the bigger, heavier predators Europeans introduced: feral cats and foxes.
  • As quolls have disappeared, rabbits may have taken advantage of the predatory void and expanded.
  • Fast-breeding rabbits are now arguably Australia’s worst invasive alien species.

Dangerous dinners

  • Cane toads have devastated some native species such as northern quolls, which naturally prey on native amphibians but cannot survive toad toxin.
  • Regrettably, a recent attempt to train quolls not to eat cane toads appears to have failed.
  • European house mice and introduced rats can be easy prey for owls, snakes, and many other native predators.

Invasive prey aren’t going away

  • As time goes on, invasive prey species can become regular meals for native predators – and part of the food web.
  • When we try to remove invasive prey species from ecosystems, we must take a big picture view and proceed with great caution.
  • When feral cats were killed off on New Zealand’s Little Barrier island, it was done with the best intentions: protect the seabirds nesting there.
  • But with the cats gone, invasive rat populations surged and soon began killing the seabird chicks.


Euan Ritchie receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action. Euan is a Councillor within the Biodiversity Council, and a member of the Ecological Society of Australia and the Australian Mammal Society.

SpyCloud Appoints New Vice President of Federal to Oversee Growth of Government Practice

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 7, 2023

SpyCloud , the leader in Cybercrime Analytics, today announced Bill Cull as its new Vice President of Federal.

Key Points: 
  • SpyCloud , the leader in Cybercrime Analytics, today announced Bill Cull as its new Vice President of Federal.
  • In this role, Cull will lead the strategic expansion of SpyCloud's federal offerings for defense, civilian agencies and national security.
  • Cull joins SpyCloud with decades of experience as a high-tech sales leader facilitating growth for companies serving government agencies.
  • “The appointment of Bill Cull to support SpyCloud's federal initiatives represents a significant advancement for the company,” said Ted Ross, CEO & Co-Founder of SpyCloud.

The Northern Territory does not have a crocodile problem – and 'salties' do not need culling

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Last week, a 67-year-old man was bitten on the arm by a saltwater crocodile at a waterhole in the Northern Territory’s Top End.

Key Points: 
  • Last week, a 67-year-old man was bitten on the arm by a saltwater crocodile at a waterhole in the Northern Territory’s Top End.
  • The last fatal incident in the territory occurred in 2018 when an Indigenous ranger was killed while fishing with her family.
  • Data suggest the saltwater crocodile population in the NT does not need to be culled and their management does not need changing.

Getting to grips with ‘salties’

    • This, as well as demand for crocodile skins, has resulted in the species being eradicated from much of its former range.
    • Now, there are no saltwater crocodiles in several countries including Cambodia, China, Seychelles, Thailand and Vietnam.
    • In the Northern Territory, crocodile numbers dropped to about 5,000 before a culling ban was introduced in 1971.
    • Read more:
      Friday essay: reckoning with an animal that sees us as prey — living and working in crocodile country

The current approach works

    • And the rarity of fatal attacks on humans indicates the territory’s crocodile management plan is effective.
    • The plan involves, among other measures, removing problem crocodiles, raising public awareness around safely co-existing with the animals, and monitoring their impact.
    • Yet the crocodile population there is likely small and recovering, based on the limited number of surveys conducted.
    • In the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara, for example, crocodiles killed at least 60 people between 2009 and 2018.

The downsides of culling crocs

    • Culling saltwater crocodiles isn’t just bad for the species.
    • The public could be lulled into a false sense of security and think a location is safe for swimming, even though crocodiles remain.
    • Culling them could damage the NT’s reputation as an ecotourism destination.

ACAMS Launches Broad Initiative to Strengthen Law Enforcement Investigations and Prosecutions with Financial Intelligence

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 12, 2023

WASHINGTON, July 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to help U.S. federal, state, and local authorities maximize the use of financial intelligence, ACAMS is launching a suite of training and educational initiatives to strengthen law enforcement investigations and prosecutions of profit-driven crimes. The ACAMS Law Enforcement Ecosystem draws on the expertise of seasoned investigators and prosecutors to offer an extensive training curriculum on leveraging anti-money laundering (AML) data to identify evidence of illicit activity, an intensive bootcamp program designed for officials seeking to become Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (CAMS), and a new online resource hub to keep agents apprised of current financial-crime analysis and emerging threats.

Key Points: 
  • Law enforcement officials can separately choose to take part in the CAMS Bootcamp, an initiative that trains up to 30 agents at a time on how financial institutions deploy AML and counterterrorism financing (CTF) compliance controls to identify, track, and report suspicious activity.
  • Visitors can also consult the hub's calendar of ACAMS conferences and seminars featuring representatives of national financial intelligence units, regulatory bodies, private-sector organizations, and law enforcement agencies.
  • "The ACAMS Law Enforcement Ecosystem is a reflection of our belief that we can fight financial crime more effectively if we share our knowledge and collaborate across sectoral divides in new and impactful ways," he said.
  • Find out more about the ACAMS Law Enforcement Ecosystem, including how to enroll in the curriculum and bootcamp, through the new hub: https://www.acams.org/en/the-acams-law-enforcement-hub

Goulston & Storrs Director Rhian Cull Named a 2023 Go To Construction Lawyer by Mass Lawyers Weekly

Retrieved on: 
Monday, June 5, 2023

BOSTON, June 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Goulston & Storrs , an Am Law 200 firm, is pleased to announce that director Rhian Cull has been named a 2023 Go To Construction Lawyer by Mass Lawyers Weekly for her long record of excellence in construction law.

Key Points: 
  • BOSTON, June 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Goulston & Storrs , an Am Law 200 firm, is pleased to announce that director Rhian Cull has been named a 2023 Go To Construction Lawyer by Mass Lawyers Weekly for her long record of excellence in construction law.
  • With 30 years of experience in complex procurement in the international construction industry, Cull is known for her ability to help high-profile clients creatively navigate complex, industry-defining commercial and public-private real estate construction partnerships to bring massive construction projects to successful completion.
  • She has deep experience with various project delivery methods, such as design/bid/build, construction manager at risk, design-build, and public-private partnership (P3) projects.
  • Cull is ranked in Best Lawyers in America: Litigation-Construction and Chambers USA, Construction (MA).

'Clubbing a bunny to death is very effective but it sure does look bad': the inside stories of urban animal control

Retrieved on: 
Friday, June 2, 2023

Last month, an online campaign funded the erection of a statue in Oslo in Freya’s honour.

Key Points: 
  • Last month, an online campaign funded the erection of a statue in Oslo in Freya’s honour.
  • But while some wild animal culls go viral, a great many more urban wildlife deaths go unnoticed and unchallenged.
  • To understand what determines the diverse reactions to animal culls, I interviewed and observed municipal cullers in Sweden.

What and where to cull?

    • They also stated that “the cuter the critters, the bigger the villains we are, and vice versa”.
    • In one instance, cullers were rewarded with cake after removing wild boar from an area where they were recently introduced.
    • If large birds are perceived as causing disturbances to both people and recreational activities, they are often culled without much consideration.
    • But, as the swan was seen as a prominent feature of the city, the culler received death threats.

When, how and who?

    • One culler noted receiving “a lot less yelling at me and fewer questions when you’re out at night and early mornings”.
    • Certain culls – particularly those involving brute force or the deaths of other animals – violate public standards.
    • During our interviews, cullers emphasised the importance of being locally recognised, with good people management skills to defuse conflicts.

What’s the reason?

    • The mere presence of wild boars in urban areas of Sweden still triggers culls, regardless of what they are doing.
    • As cities continue to encroach on animals’ habitats, human interaction with wild animals will become increasingly common.
    • What’s clear, though, is that the situation calls for the development of a wildlife etiquette within the general public.
    • This involves understanding how to behave in a manner that prevents the emergence of problematic wild animals in the first place.

NetEase Showcases a Diverse Slate of Presentations at GDC 2023

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, March 16, 2023

NetEase Games will also introduce CliCli, an integrated game editor and global distribution platform which removes barriers to entry for game creators.

Key Points: 
  • NetEase Games will also introduce CliCli, an integrated game editor and global distribution platform which removes barriers to entry for game creators.
  • This year's event will be held in person and online at San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center from March 20-24, 2023.
  • The talks listed above and other presentations from NetEase Games are available to GDC attendees with All Access, Core or Summit passes.
  • For more information about GDC 2023 and where to watch the NetEase Games presentations online, visit the official event website at https://gdconf.com/
    Learn more about NetEase at GDC: https://schedule.gdconf.com/search/Netease
    To get real-time updates from NetEase during GDC, follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NetEase_Global and https://twitter.com/NetEaseGames_EN

Alley Cat Rescue Letter Endorsing Trap-Neuter-Return for Outdoor Cat Population Management Gains Support From Over 160 Cat Experts Around the Globe

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, November 9, 2022

BRENTWOOD, Md., Nov. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- In reaction to the Polish Academy of Sciences' recent classification of domestic cats (Felis catus) as an "invasive alien species," Alley Cat Rescue (ACR) has penned an open letter to environmental leaders of multiple Island and other nations, urging them to reject any policies that promote cat culling and to manage feral cat populations through the nonlethal practice of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).

Key Points: 
  • These countries were selected due to their unique wildlife, which some conservationists believe are threatened by feral cat predation.
  • Alley Cat Rescue President and Founder, Louise Holton, explains the group's motivation behind the letter, saying "We agree that outdoor cat populations need to be controlled.
  • The cat advocacy organization also uses historical evidence to reveal common unintended consequences of eradicating cats from an enclosed ecosystem.
  • Alley Cat Rescue is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral.

Oasis Announces Exclusive Partnership with Venio Systems

Retrieved on: 
Monday, December 6, 2021

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Oasis , custom cloud solutions provider, has entered into a new partnership with Venio Systems , eDiscovery software company, making Oasis a preferred provider offering the eDiscovery SaaS solution Venio Cloud.

Key Points: 
  • LOS ANGELES, Dec. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Oasis , custom cloud solutions provider, has entered into a new partnership with Venio Systems , eDiscovery software company, making Oasis a preferred provider offering the eDiscovery SaaS solution Venio Cloud.
  • Oasis clients have the option of using Venio Cloud as part of the Oasis Suite of Technology with no annual commitment.
  • Our Venio Cloud eDiscovery platform will be an outstanding solution for Oasis clients," said Ethan Eisner, Venio CEO.
  • Our eDiscovery software empowers organizations to discover the unknown and achieve the best possible outcome in every single matter.Learn more about our eDiscovery products including Venio Cloud, Venio Legal Hold, Venio ECA, Venio Review, and VenioOne at https://veniosystems.com .