Chemical Capture | Live Training | Wildlife Capture and Care

The Crucial Role of Field Skills in Conservation

Sat, 31 May 2025 00:09:17 GMT

The Crucial Role of Field Skills in Conservation

The outcome of your day will have a significant impact on the research you’re performing, and having the proper field skills directly contributes to the success of conservation efforts that rely on that research. Poorly executed fieldwork can lead to unreliable data, mismanagement of resources, and even harm to wildlife and personnel. In contrast, when biologists are confident and competent in the field, they contribute to meaningful, science-based conservation strategies that protect species and habitats effectively.

Why is it so Difficult to Obtain Field Skills?

Gaining field skills can be a significant hurdle for aspiring wildlife biologists due to a combination of systemic and logistical barriers. Many universities and continuing education opportunities focus on theoretical instruction, with limited opportunities for hands-on training in real-world settings. Meanwhile, entry-level conservation jobs and internships require fundamental skills such as driving trucks and trailers, using snowmobiles and other machinery, navigating difficult terrain, troubleshooting mechanical problems on-site, and being physically prepared for a wide variety of circumstances; all of this in addition to being literate in the specific ecology of a landscape or species. For some, these skills are cultivated from a young age and do not present a challenge. For others, the lack of accessibility to proper training, supportive networks, and valuable outdoor experiences presents substantial obstacles to entering the field of wildlife biology from the start. This means wildlife research and the scientific community as a whole is missing out on some of the best and brightest would-be biologists.

The Problem with Volunteering for Expertise

Chronic underfunding for wildlife research, conservation, and management creates a demand for low-cost labor. One common but problematic approach for employers to balance a limited budget with the need for a workforce is to offer volunteer positions in exchange for experience. While this might seem like a logical way for young or aspiring biologists to break into the field, it ultimately reinforces inequity and undervalues the true cost of conservation work. Expecting early-career biologists to work for free creates a financial barrier that excludes those who cannot afford unpaid labor. Furthermore, relying on unpaid labor devalues the profession as a whole, making it harder to advocate for fair wages and sustainable career paths in conservation. Accessible, structured field training programs ensure that skill-building opportunities are available to all aspiring biologists, regardless of financial circumstances.

Field Skills as a Trade School for Biologists

Field skills training should not be seen as an optional experience but rather as an essential component of every biologist’s education, akin to a trade school for wildlife professionals. Just as electricians, mechanics, and other tradespeople continuously refine their craft through hands-on training, biologists benefit from ongoing field education to stay proficient and adaptable. Whether you are an undergraduate student, a recent graduate, or a seasoned biologist, investing in field skills is a lifelong endeavor that enhances career opportunities and ensures high-quality, reliable research. Continued education in field techniques keeps professionals current with new technology, methodologies, and best practices in conservation science.

Join Us Making the Difference

Attend: Participants in our programs gain practical experience, expand their professional networks, and develop both existing and new competencies, enriching their careers and the broader scientific community.

Volunteer: we invite experienced professionals to volunteer their expertise, share ideas for lessons, or assist in other capacities. Additionally, if you have facilities and equipment suitable for training courses, consider partnering with us to host future programs.

Donate or sponsor: by investing in field skills training, we lay the groundwork for a more inclusive and effective approach to wildlife research and conservation. Together, we can ensure that the next generation of biologists is well-prepared to tackle the pressing environmental challenges of our time.

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anna Machowicz is a wildlife biologist and co-founder of Home Range Wildlife Research, based in Winthrop, WA. She leads immersive field courses that equip emerging scientists with hands-on training in widlife research techniques. Passionate about inclusive conservation, Anna blends research, education, and community engagement to help foster the next generation of skilled field biologists.

Know Your Dog's True Nature with the Five Chinese Elements

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 22:18:40 GMT

"Dear Colleagues,

I'm proud to announce that my wife, Elizabeth, has published her first book! In this blog article, Elizabeth describes how the five Chinese elements can help us "know our dog's true nature". This is a fun way to better understand your dog and better know yourself and your colleagues! Both Elizabeth and I, with domestic animals and wildlife, teach others how to better understand the animals, how to better care for them, and what the animals can teach us. Have fun with this!" Dr. Mark

Excerpts from:

Know Your Dog’s True Nature – Understanding Canine Personality through the Five Elements (Inner Traditions/Findhorn Press)

A Dog’s Eye View

Do you ever wonder why your dog does what he does?

For centuries, we humans have tried to understand and deepen our relationships with our original best friends, Dogs. These creatures that eat, travel, protect, work, snuggle, wiggle, wag, and share life, home, and pure love with us still hold a sense of mystery. Today more than ever, with over 470 million dogs as pets in the world, there is still a heartfelt quest to simply understand our furry family members. We humans want to know: why do dogs do what they do?

Do you sometimes wish you had superhero “x-ray vision” to see into the deep recesses of your dog’s behavior and personality?

Learning the ancient art of the five element dog’s archetypal personalities IS like having “x-ray vision”. The five elements explain the five distinct elemental patterns of behaviors we may see in our dogs, other animals, other humans, and ourselves. This interspecies “x-ray vision” gifts us a clear understanding of these five personality types which can help us develop patience, empathy, and compassion within our dog/human relationships. It’s a fun and easy way to create harmony with our dogs and in our hearts, home, and even our life with others.

Do you truly know what your dog’s wants and needs are? Do you understand those quirky behaviors that pop up occasionally and never really change?

Maybe you see consistent wonderful traits like strength and leadership, a need to be social and adored, innate nurturing and kindness, a purposeful life, or deep, quiet wisdom. But you don’t know what these shiny gems mean in the big picture of your dog’s life.

And when they suddenly change behavior at any given moment and you see irritation, nervousness, obsessiveness, aloofness, or visceral fear… are you surprised, worried, or confused?

All these traits are part of the ever-shifting balance of the ancient Healing Art of the Five Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The Five Elements, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, are part of a nature-centered, ever-flowing, five-thousand-year-old modality of assessment and healing that ultimately strives for balance. Each element archetype can help us understand the “why’s?” of our dog’s behavior and help us navigate challenges within our relationships together. This works for human/human relationships as well.

In my 30+ year practice I’ve shared with thousands of clients the elemental personality aspects of their animals as I'm treating them. Many came back on the next visit with profound stories of now understanding who their husband was and why he does what he does, or who their co-worker is and how they can now relax around them knowing their pace, wants, and needs, and how they show their stress. Story after story led me to realize that dogs can help us see and feel things that no one else can and can act as our teachers and guides. They provide a great practice ground for our own learning of how to bring the Five Element Theory into our human experience.

Recognizing the five element personality archetypes within your dog creates a profound awareness and understanding of how these traits influence how our dogs, ourselves, colleagues, and family members deal with stress and daily life. We know stress can have tremendous effects on our health, well-being, and balance. And so it is with our dogs too.

When you experience life in this neutral space of five element observation, you are able to work with tricky situations with your dogs and others with a more open mind and heart. Thanks to the Elemental understanding of who or what you are dealing with, you can guide the situation instead of reacting to it. This helps your stress balance too!

As we learn about our dog’s element, we will see shades of these archetypes within ourselves and possibly other humans. While this book is written from a dog-centered perspective, it also includes human five element personality and behavior descriptions that closely echo each elemental dog description. First, we learn about our dogs, then to come full circle, we learn about ourselves.

It’s a gentle way to enter into “Who Am I?”

Ancient Minds and Methods

The five elements—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—are based on the universal, nature-centric premise of movement, change, and balance. In nature, as in life, nothing is static. There is ever-present creation, birth, growth, control, death, and rebirth. We see this broadly in the change of seasons, the wind, the mountains, the flow of rivers, wildlife, our own bodies and minds, and a whole galaxy of other ways. Traditional Chinese medicine’s Five Element theory is based on these everchanging dynamics and inter-relationships. As with nature, the Five Element theory has one persistent and ultimate goal—to create balance. Balance is always our main goal. We seek out the imbalance while striving to find and empower the balance.

My mantra has long been: Life is good, balance is better.

The overall Five Element theory is extracted from an ancient traditional system of seasonal “affiliations” or connections that are used to assess and treat animals and humans. To effectively assess personality, we look at the following traits: archetypes, emotions, wants, needs, stressors, balancers, and potential strengths and weaknesses for each element. This helps us see why and how each dog and human element responds to the world around them.

We humans and our animals have all the elements in our personalities. You may initially see several elements reflected in your dog or yourself. However, there will be one or two elements that clearly stand out. Once you identify your dog’s predominant element by observation of archetypal traits, finding their default emotions under stress, and numerous other clues, it will be easier to find your own primary element and create balance within your relationship.

Learning your own five element personality is often a profoundly honest experience. It paves the way for blending and weaving your dog’s element personality, wants and needs, with YOUR element personality, wants and needs. These perspectives will help you understand how both you and your dog deal with change, relationship dynamics, and even aging.

The Five Element Theory is a natural guidance system for finding harmony and balance. Just by observation and simple ancient wisdom we can learn to understand the dynamics of animals, ourselves, and others, and create the best version of ourselves and our dogs.

The Dynamics of Wolf Dentition (Part 2)

Sun, 26 May 2024 16:36:25 GMT

How To Use This Manual

Access the "Visual Guide to Wolf Dentition and Age Determination" here .

How to use the guide: The extensive guide is intended to be used as a reference for aging wolves. It also provides a basic understanding of dental terminology, anatomy, and some of the more prevalent conditions associated with wild canid dentition. The opening pages of the guide focus on providing the user familiarity with the dental formula, and the identification of specific teeth (e.g., nomenclature). The guide, containing many known-age skull specimens, clearly distinguishes notable and important characteristics between living and skull specimens for age determination. The hope is when field teams are handling wild canids, they may reference this guide to take more detailed notes allowing for a better picture of oral health.

Dentition terminology and anatomy: Terminology and anatomy is the foundation for the user of this guide. Even if, the identification of a specific condition or pathology cannot be adequately or definitively determined, the location may be appropriately described, documented, using anatomical and dental terminology described in the early pages.

Wolves have 42 teeth (between the cranium and mandible). Their dental formula is:

i 3/3 c 1/1 p 4/4 m 2/3

The dental formula represents one side of the mouth, so if you double the teeth listed in the formula, it will account for all 42 teeth. The first number 3/3 indicates the number of upper teeth present on one side of the cranium, whereas the second number 3/3 indicate the number of lower teeth on one side of the mandible. Wolves have four different classifications of teeth: incisors (i), canines (c), premolars (p) and molars (m). With this knowledge, the user will be able to identify specific teeth, reference their position within the mouth, and identify the unique faces of each tooth using the Dental Anatomy & Terminology pages.

Where do you start? In addition to what is described in the guide, it is important to perform an initial oral health exam (this may vary in procedure and protocol based on your organization or agency). From this exam, a periodontal, calculus, plaque, and gingival index can be obtained to measure oral health in free ranging carnivores. However, this is something that should be discussed with your project veterinarian, and for the purposes of this guide, we do not cover these procedures at any depth. Critical components of an initial oral exam include the following (not listed in specific order):

1. Symmetry of the skull/head and associated muscle groups – any asymmetry or swelling; observe for draining tracts in and around the nose, eyes, mandible (they appear as pore like pustules that are secreting fluid, puss)

2. Mucous membranes – noting any oral or nasal discharge that appears abnormal

3. Lymph nodes – palpating the lymph nodes, documenting swelling and asymmetry

4. Heart & Lung auscultation

5. Hydration status – tent the skin

6. Visual presentation of the skin and fur – assess for any abnormalities

7. Eyes & Ears – observe for any discharge or abnormalities

After completing your initial assessment, the user should reference the guide for the following:

1. Are all teeth present? Are there extra teeth or too few teeth?

2. Is there normal interdigitation? Can the animal close and open its mouth normally? Are there any occlusions in the mouth? (e.g., misaligned teeth, overbite, underbite)

3. Are there any missing teeth, fractures, or breaks? Are there tooth remnants?

4. Any discoloration, staining?

5. What does the wear pattern look like? Users may reference some of the descriptions provided in the age classification section of the guide

6. Is there any dentin or pulp exposure?

7. Is the gum tissue inflamed, swollen, or bleeding around any teeth?

8. Any indicators of previous exposure to disease? (e.g., enamel hypoplasia, hypomineralization)

9. Any indications of ulcers? Oral trauma? (e.g., broken or disformed mandible, alveolus)

If the user has any doubt for these questions, examples are located within the guide. Photos are always highly recommended during wildlife handling, especially of the teeth. Detailed photos may allow for further assessment post capture and minimize the amount of time the animal is under anesthesia.

What impacts wolf dentition? There are various factors that may impact wolf teeth and oral health. Notably, disease such as canine distemper virus (CDV) can cause malformed, pitted teeth and enamel hypoplasia. Other factors include habitat, diet composition, age and genetics, and damage from hunting events. While this is not an exhaustive list, these are the predominant factors which impact wolf dentition.

Enamel hypoplasia: Enamel hypoplasia and associated defects result from severe general disease at young age (most often canine distemper virus) or local trauma to a deciduous tooth causing infectious pulpits. As a result, the underlying mature teeth will exhibit enamel defects (Janssens et al., 2016). Döring et al., 2018 macroscopically examined 392 grey wolf skulls and found enamel hypoplasia in five skulls. Canine distemper virus causes alteration, and disorganization of ameloblasts during amelogenesis in the formation of enamel on canid teeth. This results in enamel hypoplasia and hypomineralization of the teeth in the absence of enamel. Enamel hypoplasia generally presents with discolored, pitted, malformed, and missing teeth. There is a section within the guide that users may reference for the presentation of enamel hypoplasia and hypomineralization.

Differences between ante, peri, and postmortem dentition: This guide utilizes known-age skull specimens, so we can provide the user with information on how to distinguish between ante, peri, and postmortem dental injuries.

Antemortem refers to injuries which occur during life. These injuries will show signs of healing. Perimortem injuries are those that occur at, or around the time of death of the individual. These injuries typically present as sharp and clean, with no healing. Postmortem injuries, occurring after death, result in jagged edges, exhibiting sometimes random patterns, with no evidence of healing.

These distinctions are important for the user to understand, especially for those wolves in older ages classes who frequently have damaged, cracked, or missing teeth. Distinguishing whether the specimen incurred the injuries during life, or whether it was during handling/processing of the skull specimen – will help the user better understand patterns.

Literature Cited

Döring, S., B. Arzi, J. N. Winer, P. H. Kass, and F. J. M. Verstraete. 2018. Dental and temporomandibular joint pathology of the grey wolf (Canis lupus). Journal of comparative pathology. 160: 56-70.

Janssens, L., L. Verhaert, D. Berkowic, and D. Adriaens. 2016. A standardized framework for examination of oral lesions in wolf skulls (Carnivora: Canidae: Canis lupus). Journal of Mammalogy. 97:1111-1124.

QUESTIONS FROM FIELD BIOLOGISTS - COVID EXPOSED TO BAIT

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 12:00:01 GMT

As field questions arise, I'll be posting them on this Wildlife Capture and Care Blog.

Follow us as field topics come up for discussion.

--- -- ---

COVID Exposure to Bait Used for Capturing Lynx

Today, I received a question from a field biologist who is capturing lynx for a research project.

I am Project Veterinarian for their program. Before the field season begins we discuss:

· Field protocols

· Drug combinations and drug delivery

· Animal care and patient monitoring

· Record keeping - what's important to record on the capture form

· Addressing veterinary emergencies and human safety

During the field season they upload a copy of the capture form on a shared Google Drive folder after every lynx is caught. We then discuss the details with the goal to learn and improve with each animal.

Throughout the year these lynx researchers and wildlife professionals from around the world often send me questions from the field.

Here is their question:

Dr. Mark

I am recovering from having COVID-I wasn't bad, a few days in bed and I'm pretty well back on my feet. On day 8 after first having symptoms, I did some butchering of roadkill deer for trap bait. My question: is there risk of this, now frozen bait, having COVID virus on it that could be passed to a lynx? Should we throw this bait out? Seems unlikely but I wanted to check to be sure. Thanks!

Here is my response:

"Excellent question. Thank you for reaching out.

The COVID virus can last up to 30 days in freezing temps. The National Institute of Health (NIH) states that a fully vaccinated COVID-19 patient with mild or no signs sheds infectious virus for 6-9 days after illness onset but not after day 10. COVID vaccination appears to significantly shorten infection times along with the length of time a person is contagious, so unvaccinated people could shed virus even longer.

It is possible the bait could have been exposed to COVID virus. We have always acknowledged that our highest priority is the well-being of the animal. I suggest not using it as bait and cleaning the freezer.

Overall, our society is getting relaxed about this virus but it is still alive and present and can cause just as much harm to unprotected humans and animals as when it first showed up.

Thank you for being so conscientious.

Dr. Mark

Watch for more answers as I respond to questions from field biologists.

We welcome your comments and input below

The Dynamics of Wolf Dentition (Part 1)

Sat, 03 Feb 2024 23:24:30 GMT

What wolf teeth reveal about their lives, and survival in the wild

Introduction: The Visual Guide to Wolf Dentition and Age Determination is the most comprehensive guide to date, focusing on wolf dentition, and the approximation of age based on visual wear patterns. Far too often, dentition and the oral health of wildlife are either forgotten or neglected. The presence of certain dental pathologies, or wear patterns may yield information about the individual health of the animal, and prior exposure to disease.

Historical Context: Wolves have been an integral part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) for thousands of years prior to the arrival of humans and inhabitants to the region. During the early 1900’s, wolves were eradicated in Yellowstone, leaving an enormous void, resulting in profound effects and impact to the ecosystem.

On January 12, 1995, the first gray wolves (Canis lupus) arrived from Canada to Yellowstone National Park, part of their reintroduction to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Since reintroduction, the gray wolf has thrived in the GYE, especially within the confines and protection of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. Arguably, gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park represent one of the most extensively studied wolf populations in the world, with decades of continuous research and consistent observation. Researchers, technicians, and biologists have intensively followed packs, documenting individuals’ life-histories for more than 25-years. The Yellowstone Wolf Project monitors wolves using VHF and GPS collars. During capture and handling, crews collect samples – allowing for genetic analysis and disease testing. From the ground and air, researchers gather crucial information on the population, pack composition, pup counts, behavior, territories, and species interactions.

Purpose: VHF and GPS collars also allow for known-fate monitoring, providing researchers information when a wolf has either died, or shed its collar. Since the reintroduction, the Yellowstone Wolf Project and winter studies have actively collected the remains of wolves upon their death, particularly their skulls. This presents the unique opportunity to analyze and study the oral and dental pathology of wild wolves.

In 2023, we accessed, analyzed, and photographed 204 wolf skull specimens in the Yellowstone Heritage and Research Center, for the purpose of developing a visual guide for wolf dentition and age determination. A previous study Gipson et al., 2000, provided an aging and dentition diagram for estimating age in wolves based on tooth wear. While this diagram has been helpful to field crews- providing a visual guide will further help allow biologists and technicians estimate the age of the wolf in hand by comparing photos of known age individuals. The visual guide also allows for biologists and technicians to identify the unique variations, and sometimes anomalies within and between age classes. The Yellowstone and Grand Teton wolf programs calculate the ages of the study wolves by utilizing a standard date of birth for pups from any given year (April 15) to their known, or approximate date of death.

What is the importance of dentition and age determination? You may ask, why is dentition and age determination important? Dental disorders are an important aspect of canid health. Documenting the prevalence of various dental/oral pathologies in wolves will contribute to our understanding of their overall health, while further advancing our understanding of dental diseases present within the populations. Age determination is also important to describe age-specific mortality, which is considerably important in wolf population dynamics.

Guide Layout and Information: The guide was assembled using tooth photos from wolf specimens photographed in the Yellowstone Heritage and Research Center in Gardiner, Montana. Additionally, a handful of dental photos from captured/immobilized wolves are included for reference from the Yellowstone Wolf Project. Each of the 204 wolf skulls photographed from the Heritage and Research Center were catalogued for future use.

Guide Content: In the guide, we review canid dentition basics including their dental formula, criteria for aging, characteristics of tooth wear, terminology and anatomy, and dental diagrams. We also delve into the interpretation of osteological specimens versus living wolves, and what specifically to look at when estimating their age based on visual wear and other characteristics. Moreover, the interpretation and identification of oral ante, peri, and postmortem injuries is important. We provide examples of all three categorizations of injuries that field staff may encounter when utilizing the guide and handling living wolves. The guide also provides a brief overview of some of the oral pathologies that may be observed macroscopically including pulp exposure and necrosis, exposure of tertiary and secondary dentin, gingival recession, missing teeth, and attrition. We also discuss enamel hypoplasia, and the importance of its recognition. The presence of enamel hypoplasia may represent exposure to canine distemper virus (CDV).

We recognized certain variables when using a visual guide to estimate the age of wolves. Some of these include:

- Was the wolf held in an acclimation pen or trap during reintroduction?

- Was the wolf exposed to disease during the development of adult teeth?

- Was there untraditional or unusual wear inconsistent with the wolf’s age?

We addressed these variables in the guide. Wolves that were held in acclimation pens are identified and received a designation. Wolves that were born during CDV outbreak years are identified, and the same for those wolves born during potential CDV outbreak years. Some wolves died from disease, and users may find that information listed under individual profiles under cause of death. Wolves that demonstrated or displayed unusual tooth wear patterns, or missing significant teeth (postmortem, likely due to handling) were excluded from the guide. Only the best possible specimen’s representative of their respective age classes were included.

Access the Visual Guide to Wolf Dentition and Age Determination here .

Acknowledgments: A special thank you to Kira Cassidy, who provided comments and review, significantly improving this summary.

50% Tuition Discount for the Foundations Course

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 16:16:27 GMT

Attention College Students and Faculty!

January 50% Tuition Discount for
The Foundations of Wildlife Chemical Capture

One of our goals is to help college students realize their professional dreams and goals of working with wildlife. GWR is offering college students and faculty a 50% discount for our online course, The Foundations of Wildlife Chemical Capture.

Our online Foundations course with practical tools and techniques and engaging videos bring participants into the field to build confidence and success with animal handling.

About the Foundations Course

This Foundations course provides 16 hours of certification that is recognized around the globe and is utilized and accepted by state and federal agencies and The Wildlife Society.
This is self-paced training with Dr. Mark’s support and access to the content for a full year including monthly Q&As with Dr. Mark.
Options are available for college credit as independent study.
For more information visit our Online Training portal or contact Dr. Mark

The Use of the BMM Protocol in the Immobilization of African Wildlife Species

Sat, 23 Jul 2022 02:06:01 GMT

By Dr. Joel Alves of WildScapes Veterinary Services, Hoedspruit, South Africa

Dear colleagues, it is a pleasure to have guest author, Dr. Joel Alves of Wildscapes Veterinary and Conservation Services from Hoedspruit, South Africa present this article on the use of a new drug combination, BMM. Many American wildlife programs are looking into this new drug combination as an alternative to BAM. Dr. Mark

The Use of BMM

In the course of our work on the African continent, we are fortunate to work with a number of charismatic species and none-more-so than the ones with sharp claws and teeth. Being a young veterinarian, I only hear the phencyclidine horror stories and it is more of a mythical drug than one I would speak about as recently used.

For me, Ketamine-Medetomidine and Telazol (Zoletil in South Africa)-Medetomidine are the more commonly known and frequently used combinations for wild carnivores. More recently BAM (Butorphanol-Azaperone-Medetomidine) has gained a lot of popularity as a result of its almost entire reversibility and it is a combination that I have personally used extensively across lions, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs.

The beauty of Bamanil (Wildlife Pharmaceuticals South Africa) is that it is a premixed vial compounded to 30mg/ml Butorphanol + 12mg/ml Azaperone + 12mg/ml Medetomidine which negates the need to mix multiple drugs from individual vials into a single dart when mixing. This is especially great for veterinarians like me, who seem to be constantly humbled when trying to dart wild dogs, resulting in many a miss and many a re-mix needing to very quickly take place. My general doses are what I have been taught by Cobus Raath and they are typically 0.1ml/10kg for any carnivore smaller than a lion. For lions I will use 0.6ml/100kg. The addition of Ketamine to this combination at 0.5-1.0mg/kg goes a long way to reducing down-times in stressful situations like darting in a cage trap or from a helicopter.

Through my use of BAM and my inevitable interest in tinkering and playing with combinations to find my sweet-spot, I was drawn to BMM (Butorphanol-Midazolam-Medetomidine). Published data from a BMM trial in lions in the Kruger National Park further piqued my interest but the greatest shortfall was the fact that we lacked access to the individual drugs in a high enough concentration to negate the use of a massive dart. The beauty that lay in BAM was that you could fit it into a 1cc dart for almost anything except a very large male lion and now with BMM, you would be looking at a 3cc dart at least.

Fortunately, Wildlife Pharmaceuticals SA is constantly looking at how they can service the industry effectively and a highly concentrated Butorphanol, Midazolam and Medetomidine solved those struggles. Since then I have used BMM across all our carnivore species across a range of capture scenarios. My typical dose range is as follows:

Butorphanol @ 0.3-0.4mg/kg
Midazolam @ 0.15-0.3mg/kg
Medetomidine @ 0.05-0.07mg/kg

My adjustments are typically made most on the Midazolam and is based on the purpose of the immobilization. I use the lower end dose for short collaring or treatment immobilisations and the higher end dose for long-term immobilisations or translocations where the residual activity provides excellent sedation. My reversal protocol is with Atipamezole (5:1 by mg) to Medetomidine and Naltrexone (1:1 by mg) to Butorphanol. In stressful capture situations, as with BAM above, I will add Ketamine at 0.5-1.0mg/kg. Take note to give 30-35 minutes at least prior to reversal if Ketamine was added to avoid rough recoveries.

The first signs of BMM induction are usually around 2-2.5 minutes, laying down around 4-6 minutes and if I am comfortable with the animals position and can safely monitor the breathing at a distance, I will typically wait 10-15 minutes before making my approach to ensure that early stimulation and spontaneous arousal is avoided which can result in supplementary drugs being required once the Medetomidine is booted off the receptors by adrenaline/epinephrine.

I have darted extremely compromised spotted hyena with serious wire snare wounds who are in shocking condition and they have been stable throughout the immobilization. It has proven incredibly safe thus far and the quality of immobilization, subjectively measured, is excellent. Without a doubt, the growing use of BMM will result in more research projects taking place and we are currently pushing for a comparative between BAM and BMM in wild dogs.

necessity for research cannot be understated as we always measure these combinations subjectively and merit is given because the animal sleeps when we expect it to, it breathes and it wakes up when we want it to. The deeper physiological effects in between those two points is not understood until we bring in the fancy machines with the pointy headed researchers and possibly get told that what we’re doing is completely wrong.

Here’s to hopefully joining the pointy heads on discovering more about BMM and ever more drug combinations of which there are likely as many as there are veterinarians.

About the Author:

Dr Joel is a wildlife veterinarian who started out his career in 2018 under the tutelage of the great Dr Cobus Raath with WildlifeVets.com. In 2020, along with his colleague Dr Ben Muller, he started a new adventure with WildScapes Veterinary & Conservation Services and looks ahead to a future of work in the world of wildlife conservation with a focus on the aspects that go beyond simply being a veterinarian.

Career highlights include collaring forest elephants in the Republic of Congo with African Parks, placing ossicone units on giraffe in Tanzania with Giraffe Conservation Foundation, working with a net-gunning team catching wildlife across the USA, being a part of the team dehorning over 400 white and black rhinos in the Greater Kruger National Park and having the privilege of thus far working in 8 African countries.

Beyond his passions for predators and pachyderms, research lies at the forefront of his interests having completed an MSc focusing on leopard immobilization and currently assisting in a comparative immobilization protocol in free ranging black rhino.

He is on the board of the Lion Management Forum of South Africa, a member of the African Lion Working Group and the IUCN Giraffe & Okapi Special ist Group

Estimating Body Weights for Bears

Tue, 17 May 2022 02:13:50 GMT

Here is a great question sent to me from a wildlife biologist taking my online course, “The Foundations of Wildlife Chemical Capture”. Dr. Mark

Colleen asks:

Dr. Mark, I just finished Chapter 2 where you discussed the importance of accurate weight estimates to determine safe and effective immobilizing drug doses. I see you mentioned observing the ear size in relation to the body, but what are your other go-to observations for estimating body weight for bears?

Dr. Mark’s reply:

Great question. I have three predominant aspects that I consider when estimating body weight for bears:

Ears give me a sense of how old the bear is. As bears grow, their head grows but their ears do not. So a big-eared bear is a small younger bear. A bear with little ears (relative to head size) is an older larger bear.
We’re often estimating bear weights when they are in a culvert trap so I first notice if it is a large or small culvert trap because traps vary in size. A small culvert trap will make me think it is a larger bear and can skew my estimate. A larger trap will make a bear look smaller.
My strongest reference is writing down my weight estimates on the drugging field form every time we do a capture. We also document actual weight as well. That way we are learning from every animal. When I have a partner at the capture, I ask them to also write down their weight estimate. After we weigh the bear, we know that whoever is least accurate buys the next coffee.

It is interesting to note that we have always strived for being accurate with animal weight estimates within 10%. That is the professional standard. I realized that we strive to be accurate within 10% because when we work with ketamine/xylazine and Telazol combinations (which I have done for decades), small variations in dose really makes a difference in the downtime and depth of immobilization. Many biologists are now immobilizing bears with BAM and BAM is more forgiving. We can be 25% off in our weight estimates and not notice a difference in the immobilization. One major reason for this with BAM is that we have reversals to wake up an animal when we’re done. With ketamine/xylazine and Telazol combinations the anesthetics are not reversible. With Telazol, we have to wait for them to wake up and we must wait for ketamine to wear off before we administer the reversal for xylazine. So we don’t want to give them any more than we need to, but we want to be confident that we gave enough!

In all cases, we still strive to be accurate within 10% for safe and successful wildlife immobilizations.

To recap:

Look at the ears
Look at the culvert size
Write down both estimated weight and actual weight on the field form so we learn from each animal.

Care to learn more? Register for the online course, “The Foundations of Wildlife Chemical Capture“ .

The Use Of Potent Opioids In The Field Of Wildlife Immobilization

Sat, 30 Apr 2022 03:25:00 GMT

By Dr. Liesel Laubscher, Wildlife Pharmaceuticals South Africa

Dear colleagues, it is a pleasure to have guest author, Dr. Liesel Laubscher of Wildlife Pharmaceuticals South Africa present this article on potent opioids. Dr. Mark

Thiafentanil is often combined with etorphine to get both the advantage of the quick inductions caused by thiafentanil and the longer duration of action caused by etorphine. Like etorphine, thiafentanil causes hypertension in rhino and elephant and severe respiratory depression, particularly in white rhino. In the latter species, etorphine is the preferred opioid for immobilization although thiafentanil is very effective in black rhino. Thiafentanil is also not effective in equids. Currently, thiafentanil is registered for veterinary use in South Africa.

In the US, thiafentanil is listed in FDA’s Index of Legally-Marketed Unapproved New Animal Drugs for Minor Species for captive animals and for free-ranging wildlife, it must be used under the requirements of an Investigational New Animal Drug. It is used by a few government agencies for species such as caribou, moose, and elk, and mountain goats.

Potent opioids have been instrumental in changing the way wildlife veterinarians capture and restrain wildlife. However, the highly scheduled and controlled nature of these drugs have resulted in a limited number of approved and marketed veterinary opioids, not only in the US but worldwide. As a result, veterinarians are often forced to use products approved for human use such as benzodiazepines. This has led to a move towards more species-specific drug combinations that minimize or eliminate the need for potent opioid inclusion in dart mixtures. For example, in many cases BAM (the combination of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine) is replacing the use of potent opioids. Regardless of this, potent opioids still remain the most powerful analgesics known to man and may never be fully replaced when immobilizing larger, more challenging species like rhino, elephant, and giraffe.

For more information on the use of potent opioids, visit the Wildlife Pharmaceuticals website at www.wildpharm.co.za and access their series of free webinars and peer-reviewed publications on topics relating to wildlife chemical immobilization.

The Foundations Course is Reviewed by Journal of Wildlife Diseases

Sun, 31 Oct 2021 15:29:03 GMT

It is an honor to have the Journal of Wildlife Diseases (JWD) review our online course, The Foundations of Wildlife Chemical Capture. This is likely the first time JWD has reviewed an online course.

The review was written by Dr. Jane Harms, Program Veterinarian with Environment Yukon. Jane has had the opportunity to attend both my live and online courses so she has a valuable perspective for this online format.

As you can see in Dr. Harm’s review, this is excellent training for widlife professionals, students, and their supervisors. This online course empowers both seasoned and young professionals, strengthens field protocols, and improves safety and success. There are powerful demonstration videos and stunning images to bring you into the field as you learn the details.

The Foundations course was made for the international community. Every video has English closed captions and the course has both metric and standard measurements.

Registration is always open. This is self-paced training with my interactive support to customize the course to meet your needs.

You have access to the Foundations course, video, and all content for a FULL YEAR.

How To Evaluate Which Wildlife Drug Combination to Use

Fri, 21 May 2021 02:08:00 GMT

Dr. Mark describes creating new drug combinations for immobilizing lynx

Developing a new drug combination required me to consider:

How practical is the drug combination for the biologists? They will be capturing lynx in harsh winter conditions.

How Can We Evaluate Which Drug Combination to Use?

How can we determine if either or both drug combinations are safe and effective? How do we decide which to use?

We first carefully drug captive lynx in a controlled setting and continually monitor and document TPRs (temperature, pulse, and respiration) in addition to color of the gums and CRT (capillary refill time). There are great videos in the Foundations course showing how to monitor these vital signs.
We assess the “quality” of the anesthesia.
Does the drug combination produce a short or long down time?
Is it reversible or not reversible?
Are there good working periods of anesthesia when the animal is calm and unresponsive?
Is the animal tense or relaxed? Does the animal’s body move very little or is there a lot of twitching and movement (i.e. ketamine effects)?
Do the TPRs typically stay within healthy ranges?
How quickly can the animal recover with its head up and standing? How smooth and relaxed is the animal’s recovery?

We are going to look for programs with captive lynx who will test these drug combinations when they have a need to immobilize the animals. If/when we feel these drug combinations are safe, then we will ask the biologists to try these drug combinations with lynx in the field and be just as diligent with their patient monitoring and record keeping. There will be a post-capture assessment with every animal and we will continually evaluate our drug combinations and other protocols to produce the most effective chemical immobilizations that are safe for both people and animals.

If you are wildlife student who is knew to the profession, the Foundations course will give you a full understanding of how to conduct chemical captures with success and confidence. I offer a student discount for those enrolled in college. Just contact me at info@wildliferesources.com for a Student Discount Coupon.

If you are a seasoned professional the Foundations course will surprise you with practical field-based tools and techniques that will strengthen and improve your chemical captures.

Learn more about wildlife immobilizing drug combinations in my online course, “The Foundations of Wildlife Chemical Capture”.

Wildlife Health Connections Podcast Part 1: Dr. Mark Johnson – Stories and Wisdom from 35 years of Wildlife Capture and Handling

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 21:17:00 GMT

Wildlife Pharmaceuticals/ZooPharm Is Now Part Of Wedgewood Pharmacy

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 22:21:00 GMT

About the Author

George Carballo is general manager of Wildlife Pharmaceuticals. He leads the Wildlife Pharmaceuticals and ZooPharm business including developing the team, coordinating resources with Wedgewood Pharmacy , building and expanding customer relationships, and spurring research and new formulation development. Carballo joined Wedgewood Pharmacy in October 2018 as the regional sales manager for the Eastern Region. Prior to joining Wedgewood Pharmacy, he spent 16 years at Henry Schein Animal Health as a territory manager and then regional manager. His first experience in the animal-health arena was with Fort Dodge Animal Health where he was a territory manager. He began his career in account management and sales in the health insurance industry. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Rutgers University.

The Future in “Bear hair”: Will Noninvasive DNA Sampling Advances Minimize the Need to Capture & Handle Bears for Management & Research?

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 18:23:00 GMT

Dear colleagues, I am honored to have Tyler Brasington bring his field experience and knowledge to this blog as he writes about non-invasive grizzly research. Thank you, Tyler!” Dr. Mark

This and other practical and field-based tools are covered in more detail in my live and online chemical capture courses.

How to REALLY Find Wildlife Work

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 19:00:00 GMT

The post How to REALLY Find Wildlife Work first appeared on Chemical Capture | Live Training | Wildlife Capture and Care .

ALWAYS Use a Headcover with Every animal – or Should We?

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 02:23:00 GMT

Animal Care

Covering the eyes of an anesthetized animal can protect their eyes from dirt, debris, and insects. On a sunny day it will shade the retinas and reduces drying of the cornea. (The professional standard is to also treat the eyes of anesthetized animals with steroid-free ophthalmic drops or ointment. Drops are easier.)

Psychologically it is easier for the animals. I have seen wild caught wolves burying their heads in straw with the rest of their body in the open. It is almost as if they feel safer with their head covered.

Human Safety

Some drug combinations, such as ketamine and xylazine, can produce a sudden wake-up as the drugged animal transitions from anesthesia (unresponsive) to sedation (responsive). Imagine a handler working with a coyote, mountain lion, or bear and focusing on radio-collaring, annual medical treatments, or blood collection and then the animal suddenly wakes up. This can compromise human safety or turn it into a rodeo with handlers struggling for control with physical restraint.

Imagine a waking animal becoming responsive and watching the activity around them. A headcover will reduce the frequency of sudden wake ups and increase human safety by minimizing stimulus. Yes, a covered animal can still feel the handlers working on them (there are ways to touch and handle drugged animals that also reduce sudden wake-ups), but the head cover really makes a difference. Sometimes with sedate (responsive) animals, the only thing between the handler and the awake animal is the head cover. It makes a huge difference.

Practical Reasons for Not Using A Headcover

The effects of many drug combinations, such as Telazol are long lasting and result in gradual recoveries rather than sudden wake-ups. Handlers may reason that they do not need a headcover for human safety when the drug combination is long acting.

We often check the eyes for assessing depth of anesthesia and the headcover blocks our view. The headcover can also make it harder to examine the mouth, color of gums, and capillary refill time. If the animal is sedate (responsive), quiet only because of the head cover, it can be risky to quickly remove it to check the eyes so it is important to be careful. In my chemical capture courses, I teach some basic safety measures for how to remove the head cover when it must be removed.

A headcover can also be a bother or distraction blowing away when working around helicopters. Heavier leather headcovers work better for these conditions.

Respect for the Animal

In Summary

This and other practical and field-based tools are covered in more detail in my live and online chemical capture courses.

Do you think the headcover is important? Why or why not? Is using a headcover with every animal a professional standard? From around the world, I would love to hear from you. Dr. Mark

The Value of Post-Capture Self-Assessment

Fri, 22 May 2020 05:26:00 GMT

by Andrea J. Shipley, Mammalogist, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Note: GWR is providing blog articles from guest field professionals every 3rd week of the month. We are honored to start with an article from Andrea Shipley. If you have an idea for a blog article you wish to share, please contact me through my Contact Page . Dr. Mark

This and other practical and field-based tools are covered in more detail in my live and online chemical capture courses.

Is it Safe to Drug Black Bears with BAM?

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 06:49:00 GMT

“Is it safe to drug black bears with BAM?”

“How do I deal with slow respirations caused by BAM?”

These are questions I often get from wildlife professionals.

BAM is combination of Butorphanol, Azaperone, and Medetomidine from Wildlife Pharmaceuticals. It has been getting wide attention in the United States and is a great drug combination for black bears. It is safe and, in general, the animals do not wake up as suddenly as they often do with ketamine and xylazine.

One of the best things about BAM is the ability of the biologist or animal caretaker to give the reversals when their work is done. This means the animal is down for a shorter period of time thus freeing up personnel for other duties. The professional standard is: Do not leave the animal until it is awake enough to raise it’s head, swallow, and control it’s airway.

Yes, BAM can cause very slow respirations in bears and other animals. So be sure to create protocols for how to prevent this problem, when to treat a concern, and what treatments can be used in your field situation.

PREVENTING PROBLEMS

1. TPRs (temperature, pulse, and respirations)

A healthy respiratory rate for a bear under BAM is about 12 to 16 breaths per minute (BPM). A slow respiratory rate can be seen either as very few evenly spaced breaths per minute or as periods of regular breathing with periods of apnea (lack of breathing). This is called episodic breathing. Always monitor breathing but the greatest concern is when ambient temperatures are hot or when the bear has been physically active and has a high body temperature (i.e. running through town). TPR’s, TPR’s, TPR’s!

Monitor TPRs often – at least every 5 minutes. We often count heart rates and respirations for 15 or 30 seconds. If breathing is very slow or episodic, then count respirations for 1 minute to get an accurate count. Be sure to record every TPR in chronological order.

2) Have oxygen whenever you can when working up bears under the effects of BAM.

This may not be realistic in the backcountry. Administer oxygen on every bear throughout the handling as depressed respiration is very common in bears under BAM.

WHEN TO TREAT FOR SLOW BREATHING

I suggest taking action when respirations are 8 breaths per minute or slower. These can be 8 breaths evenly spaced or episodic. It is very unsettling to have a bear stop breathing for 30 seconds! Another indicator is when a bear gives a large, loud exhale followed by no breath for several seconds. This is also consistent with episodic breathing. This recommendation of 8 breaths per minute is a general reference. Each program should decide what indicators will initiate treating the animal.

TREATMENT

When you have decided that the bear is breathing too slow you have a tier of treatment options to help a bear under BAM. These options are listed from least significant to most significant . The stronger the drug dose is acting on the bear, the more significant an action must be taken to succeed.

With milder concerns you can use less significant treatments.

Physical Stimulus
Some biologists will rub their knuckles against the ribs to stimulate a bear to breath.
Governing Vessel 26 (GV-26) is an acupuncture point used for resuscitation, shock, respiratory arrest, and cardiac arrest. GV 26 is located at the junction where the “leather” of the nose meets the fur of the upper lip at the center groove of the nose. You can use your finger nail to apply pressure to this site or insert a 22 or 25 gauge needle at this site and twirl it slowly for a moment. It is not necessary to hit the bone to achieve full effect. The animal should begin breathing if the drug effects are not too strong.

Doxapram HCl (Dopram V®)
Doxapram is a respiratory stimulant that can re-activate breathing or improve it. For bears, inject 0.5 ml into the tongue for fast absorption.
Partial reversal with Tolazoline HCl (Tolazoline®)
Tolazoline is an antagonist (reversal) recommended for xylazine. Tolazoline can be given (0.5 ml IM) as a partial reversal. It is not strong enough to reverse the medetomidine in BAM so the animal will not be completely reversed, but it may improve respirations. This is not an absolute. This is a working recommendation from a collective learning experience of many professionals.
Full Reversal
If the bear stops breathing or has dangerously slow breaths, the BAM should be fully reversed with both naltrexone and atipamezole (in that order). Follow the reversal doses recommended by Wildlife Pharmaceuticals . As always, remove all non-essential equipment and people before the drugs are reversed.

SUMMARY

BAM is a safe and effective drug combination for black bears. All drug combinations pose risks to the animal. The most common risk caused by BAM is slow respiration. As with all chemical immobilizations, personnel should monitor TPRs often and record in chronological order. Be sure to make a plan for helping the bear when respirations are too slow. We are the animal’s advocate!

MY LIVE AND FUTURE ONLINE COURSES HAVE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION AND MORE!!!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Some of these recommendations are from other biologists and veterinarians. Thank you. Collectively we strive to build upon our experiences, share them among colleagues, and strive to provide the best care we can for the animals. We are all advocates for the animals. – Dr. Mark

This and other practical and field-based tools are covered in more detail in my live and online chemical capture courses.

Staying Positive During These Challenging Times

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 06:43:00 GMT

Just yesterday I read an article where seismic researchers are documenting that the planet is vibrating less with our reduced transportation and activity.

These are significant and challenging times and for now, a new way of life. One of the most important things we can do is to think and act positive. There are indeed important things we can be DOING to reduce the rapid spread of this pandemic. But there are also important ways of BEING – to be positive and constructive. What are these?

Our change in life style is helping us realize what is important to us. Families are spending more time together. My neighbors are sewing masks to give to the neighborhood and hospitals. People are making daily phone calls to those who are isolated. The younger generation in China is seeing blue skies for the first time. We have more time to spend in Nature. I have cancelled three courses but finally have time to create the online courses and eBooks I have wanted for years.

But what does this have to do with wildlife capture and handling?

Most books and courses in wildlife chemical capture talk about what to do – ways of DOING. But it is very important to practice ways of BEING as well. We can be caring and compassionate to the animals we capture and handle. We can be kind and respectful to every person, every professional colleague. We can be bringing heart-felt values into our science and profession not only to improve animal handling but to also allow ourselves to be fully human. We will be healthier and happier and the profession and our community will be benefit.

I hope you get through these challenging times with as little hardship as possible. I also hope that gifts come to you in many different ways, ways that are more visible during these slower times. – Dr. Mark

TPRs: Shining Light On A Furry Black Box

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 19:59:00 GMT

Monitoring TPRs (Temperature, Pulse, and Respiration) should be done with every chemical immobilization.

Drugging an animal should not be a mystery. A biologist in one of my recent courses described how tense their team was when immobilizing each animal. They felt they didn’t know when the animal would come out of the drug. They quickly got the most important procedures done first in case the animal suddenly woke up. They did not have much time for anything else. It doesn’t not have to be this way.

Whenever we chemically immobilize animals, they become a furry black box. We have to learn to see the mystery inside. Is the animal deep or light under anesthesia? Is he doing well or at risk of dying? Is she hot or cold? Monitoring TPRs will shed light on the black box. It will help you give better care for the animal. Monitoring TPRs will also allow you to guide the chemical immobilization rather than react to it .

Biologists or animal caretakers often say there is not enough time to do TPRs. But the well-being of the animal is more important than our work. Before an animal caretaker treats a wound or gives preventative meds, and before a biologist begins collecting blood, radio-collaring or ear tagging, they should address basic animal care first such as TPRs, head cover, and body position.

Repeated TPRs allow you to follow the body temperature so you can help the animal get warmer or cooler as needed and prevent thermal inertia which may become irreversible. TPRs allow you to follow changes in heart rate and respiratory rate which will typically slow as the drugs take effect and rise as the animal comes out of the drug. Did you deliver too much drug? Follow the heart rate for feedback. Then match that to any movements or lack of movements the animal has. This will help you understand how deep the animal is under anesthesia and shine the light on the furry black box.

Chemical Capture | Live Training | Wildlife Capture and Care

The Crucial Role of Field Skills in Conservation

Know Your Dog's True Nature with the Five Chinese Elements

The Dynamics of Wolf Dentition (Part 2)

How To Use This Manual

Access the "Visual Guide to Wolf Dentition and Age Determination" here .

QUESTIONS FROM FIELD BIOLOGISTS - COVID EXPOSED TO BAIT

As field questions arise, I'll be posting them on this Wildlife Capture and Care Blog.

Follow us as field topics come up for discussion. ﻿

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COVID Exposure to Bait Used for Capturing Lynx

The Dynamics of Wolf Dentition (Part 1)

What wolf teeth reveal about their lives, and survival in the wild

50% Tuition Discount for the Foundations Course

Attention College Students and Faculty!

January 50% Tuition Discount for The Foundations of Wildlife Chemical Capture

The Use of the BMM Protocol in the Immobilization of African Wildlife Species

By Dr. Joel Alves of WildScapes Veterinary Services, Hoedspruit, South Africa

The Use of BMM

About the Author:

Estimating Body Weights for Bears

Here is a great question sent to me from a wildlife biologist taking my online course, “The Foundations of Wildlife Chemical Capture”. Dr. Mark

Care to learn more? Register for the online course, “The Foundations of Wildlife Chemical Capture“ .

The Use Of Potent Opioids In The Field Of Wildlife Immobilization

By Dr. Liesel Laubscher, Wildlife Pharmaceuticals South Africa

The Foundations Course is Reviewed by Journal of Wildlife Diseases

It is an honor to have the Journal of Wildlife Diseases (JWD) review our online course, The Foundations of Wildlife Chemical Capture. This is likely the first time JWD has reviewed an online course.

How To Evaluate Which Wildlife Drug Combination to Use

Dr. Mark describes creating new drug combinations for immobilizing lynx

Developing a new drug combination required me to consider: ﻿

How practical is the drug combination for the biologists? They will be capturing lynx in harsh winter conditions.

How Can We Evaluate Which Drug Combination to Use?

Learn more about wildlife immobilizing drug combinations in my online course, “The Foundations of Wildlife Chemical Capture”.

Wildlife Health Connections Podcast Part 1: Dr. Mark Johnson – Stories and Wisdom from 35 years of Wildlife Capture and Handling

Wildlife Pharmaceuticals/ZooPharm Is Now Part Of Wedgewood Pharmacy

About the Author

The Future in “Bear hair”: Will Noninvasive DNA Sampling Advances Minimize the Need to Capture & Handle Bears for Management & Research?

Dear colleagues, I am honored to have Tyler Brasington bring his field experience and knowledge to this blog as he writes about non-invasive grizzly research. Thank you, Tyler!” Dr. Mark

This and other practical and field-based tools are covered in more detail in my live and online chemical capture courses.

How to REALLY Find Wildlife Work

ALWAYS Use a Headcover with Every animal – or Should We?

Animal Care

Human Safety

Practical Reasons for Not Using A Headcover

Respect for the Animal

In Summary

This and other practical and field-based tools are covered in more detail in my live and online chemical capture courses.

The Value of Post-Capture Self-Assessment

by Andrea J. Shipley, Mammalogist, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

This and other practical and field-based tools are covered in more detail in my live and online chemical capture courses.

Is it Safe to Drug Black Bears with BAM?

This and other practical and field-based tools are covered in more detail in my live and online chemical capture courses.

Staying Positive During These Challenging Times

TPRs: Shining Light On A Furry Black Box

This and other practical and field-based tools are covered in more detail in my live and online chemical capture courses.

Follow us as field topics come up for discussion.

January 50% Tuition Discount for
The Foundations of Wildlife Chemical Capture

Developing a new drug combination required me to consider: