Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-4rdrl Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-16T22:38:27.723Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A report of capture myopathy in the Tasmanian pademelon (Thylogale billardierii)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

CR McMahon
Affiliation:
School for Environmental Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
NL Wiggins*
Affiliation:
School of Plant Science, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Australia School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
V French
Affiliation:
School for Environmental Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
HI McCallum
Affiliation:
School of Plant Science, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Australia Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia
DMJS Bowman
Affiliation:
School of Plant Science, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Australia
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: wigginsn@utas.edu.au

Abstract

In Tasmania, a small island state of Australia, wildlife is under increasing pressure from anthropogenic activities. Multiple species of native herbivores compete directly for resources with humans, such that wildlife populations are regularly managed to reduce their impact on agricultural and forestry landscapes. There is an increasing need to quantify the impacts of such wildlife management strategies on localised populations of Tasmania's iconic fauna. Gathering this information often requires capture and restraint of animals, but due to a paucity of published information on responses of wildlife to such techniques, regulatory bodies overseeing research do not always have complete information upon which to base decisions. In our study, the regulatory body designated manual restraint over chemical immobilisation as the preferred method, but current prescribed techniques can result in capture-related injuries including myopathy. To encourage dialogue on this welfare issue, we present observations on capture and restraint of the endemic Tasmanian pademelon (Thylogale billardierii). Three of 19 animals that were trapped as part of a research study exhibited symptoms consistent with capture myopathy. Results suggest that techniques involved with capture and manual restraint can be problematic for pademelons, and we present recommendations for preventative measures, including chemical immobilisation, to limit myopathy-related deaths.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2013 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Blyde, D 1999 Advances in treating diseases of macropods: Proceedings 327. Wildlife in Australia. Healthcare and Management pp 439454. Post Graduate Foundation in Veterinary Science, University of Sydney: Dubbo, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Booth, R 1994 Medicine and husbandry: dasyurids, possums and bats: Proceedings 233. Wildlife, The TG Hungerford Refresher Course for Veterinarians pp 423442. Post Graduate Foundation in Veterinary Science, University of Sydney: Dubbo, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Chalmers, GA and Barrett, MW 1982 Capture myopathy. In: Fairbrother, A, Locke, LN and Hoff, GL (eds) Non-infectious Diseases of Wildlife pp 8494. Iowa State University Press: Ames, USAGoogle Scholar
Coleman, JD, Montague, TL, Eason, CT and Statham, HL 1997 The management of problem browsing and grazing mammals in Tasmania. Landcare Research Contract Report LC9596/106. Browsing Animal Research Council: Hobart, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Gannon, WL and Sikes, RS 2007 Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists for the use of wild mammals in research. Journal of Mammalogy 88: 809823. http://dx.doi.org/10.1644/06-MAMM-F-185R1.1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holz, P 2007 Marsupials. In: West, G, Heard, B and Caulkett, N (eds) Zoo Animal and Wildlife Immobilisation and Anaesthesia pp 341–346. Blackwell Publishing: Oxford, UK. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470376478.ch26CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, WJ, Wilson, ME, Allen, T, Festa-Bianchet, M and Coulson, G 2011 A capture technique for free-ranging eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) habituated to humans. Australian Mammalogy 33: 4751. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/AM10029CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McMahon, CR and Bradshaw, CJA 2008 To catch a buffalo: field immobilisation of Asian swamp buffalo using etorphine and xylazine. Australian Veterinary Journal 86: 235241. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2008.00303.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pollock, DC and Montague, TL 1991 A new trap trigger mechanism for the capture of swamp wallabies (Marsupialia, Macropodidae). Wildlife Research 18: 459461. http://dx. doi.org/10.1071/WR9910459CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spraker, TR 1993 Stress and capture myopathy in Artiodactylids. In: Fowler ME (ed) Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine. Current Therapy 3 pp 481488. WB Saunders Co: Pennsylvania, USAGoogle Scholar
Staker, L 2006 The Complete Guide to the Care of Macropods. Matilda's Publishing: Armidale, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Vogelnest, L and Portas, TJ 2008 Macropods. In: Vogelnest, L and Woods, R (eds) Medicine of Australian Mammals pp 133226. CSIRO Publishing: Collingwood, AustraliaCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiggins, NL, Williamson, GJ, McCallum, HI, McMahon, CR and Bowman, DMJS 2010 Shifts in macropod home ranges in response to wildlife management interventions. Wildlife Research 37: 379391. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WR09144CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, ES and Thorne, ET 1996 Exertional myopathy. In: Fairbrother, A, Locke, LN and Hoff, GL (eds) Non-infectious Diseases of Wildlife pp 181193. Iowa State University Press: Ames, USAGoogle Scholar