Page 491 - The Veterinary Laboratory and Field Manual 3rd Edition

428 Matilde Tomaselli and Patricia Curry

Figure 11.4 (A) A hunted muskox cow with a sampling kit that will be used by the hunter to collect a set of
biological samples when butchering the carcass. (B) The core set of samples collected using the sampling
kit: blood-saturated filter-paper strips, faeces, left metatarsus (or left hind leg), and a piece of skin with hair
from the rump. See also Plate 44. Photos: courtesy of Matilde Tomaselli.

hunters is essential for hunters’ compliance with age classes), body condition status, morbidity,
the programme and for the quality and com- and mortality have also been identified through
pleteness of samples and data collected. the interview process, along with the relative
Once the sampling is completed, hunters prevalence and trend over time of endemic and
return the sample kits to a central holding facility emerging syndromes observed in muskoxen.
(for example, conservation officer’s location or Finally, for the period 2010–2014, a minimum
Hunters and Trappers Organization’s work site) of 120 mortality events consistent with disease
and are provided with a monetary reward for outbreaks have been newly discovered through
their efforts. The samples are then gathered and the interviews. This is stark contrast to only
sent to southern labs for examination and test- ten dead muskoxen having been identified in
ing. Once results are compiled, the final and vital 2010 through standard passive surveillance.
step is to report findings back to all stakehold- The hunters’ knowledge has proved essential
ers, including the hunters and the community, to better understand the status of muskoxen
so that people are informed about the health of in the area, to formulate hypotheses regarding
muskoxen in their area and so that management the mechanisms of the decline, and to prioritize
actions can be implemented if needed. future studies.
In Cambridge Bay, the interview process Additionally, hunters’ knowledge has the
has gathered important historic and current potential to increase the timeliness for detecting
information on the status of muskoxen in the changes both at individual and population level
study area. This information would have been (that is, provide an early warning system). For
missed otherwise. Local knowledge has enabled example, hunters had already observed scabby
the identification of a decline of muskoxen lesions on the nose and mouth of muskoxen in
in the Cambridge Bay area and has characterized 2004, but these were not recorded until 2014
the magnitude and time of occurrence of this when the participatory muskox health surveil-
decline. Changes in demography (that is, sex and lance programme started. Further, the pathogen

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