Webinar recording with our Provincial Wildlife Veterinarian available now. Learn about the disease that has killed hundreds of black tail deer on British Columbia’s coastal islands and could potentially affect other ungulate species including a spread across British Columbia.
A disease outbreak occurring in deer in B.C. Adenovirus Hemorrhagic Disease (AHD) is an acute, infectious, usually fatal viral disease of deer species. Since September 2020, coastal blacktailed deer on several British Columbia (BC) Gulf Islands (confirmed on Galiano, Mayne, Pender, Salt Spring) and southern Vancouver Island (from Coombs to Sooke) have died from this disease. The information below is important for the public and hunters to learn more about this new disease and its implication on deer populations, hunters and public health.(1)
(1) ADENOVIRUS HEMORRHAGIC DISEASE IN DEER BRITISH COLUMBIA WILDLIFE HEALTH FACT SHEET
Caeley Thacker is the BC wildlife veterinarian. She leads the BC Wildlife Health Program in the Fish and Wildlife Branch of the BC Ministry of Forests. Caeley grew up on Vancouver Island and has had a love for wildlife and wild places from a young age. After a brief stint in wildlife biology in BC, she moved to New Zealand to go to vet school and then to work in mixed animal clinical practice. She’s never really been able (or willing) to stay away from wildlife in BC and has worked with the BC Wildlife Health Program in various capacities since 2008. Her role as BC wildlife veterinarian began in 2020. When not working, Caeley spends her time trail running or out on the ocean around the gulf islands.
Hunters for BC would like to express our gratitude to Darryn Epp, West Coast Photography (Mike Anderson) and Heather Pederson for the stunning black tail deer images we have used to promote this webinar!
