The investigations concerning the spirochaetes Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato were conducted in 169 Ixodes ricinus female ticks (141 collected from roe deer and 28 from red deer) as well as in 11 Dermacentor reticulatus female ticks from deer shot in the South-East of Poland. Moreover, a single female Dermacentor reticulatus from a dog and 9 collected from plants were examined. DNA was isolate...

Assemblages of introduced taxa provide an opportunity to understand how abiotic and biotic factors shape habitat use by coexisting species. We tested hypotheses about habitat selection by two deer species recently introduced to New Zealand's temperate rainforests. We hypothesised that, due to different thermoregulatory abilities, rusa deer (Cervus timorensis; a tropical species) would prefer wa...

Blood samples were obtained from 38 wild red deer (Cervus elaphus) at two sites in Ireland and subjected to PCR analysis of the 18S rRNA gene followed by sequencing. Two fragments of the 18S rRNA gene were generated by two different PCR protocols and subsequent sequencing suggested that at least six of the deer were infected by a babesia that, in those loci, is indistinguishable from Babesia di...

Onchocercosis, caused by Onchocerca flexuosa, was observed in red deer (Cervus elaphus) from Spain for the first time. Adult specimens of P. flexuosa were found in nodules in subcutaneous tissues in 42 of 125 (33%) red deer between October 1994 and September 1995; intensity of infection +/- SD was 3.93 +/- 5.26 nodules per infected host. A clear seasonal pattern in the distribution of nodules w...

Records of official deer control operations in the Kaweka Range between 1958 and 1988 have been used to describe the pattern of official hunting, to indicate changes in hunting efficiency, and to show trends in the proportions of sika and red deer in sympatric populations. The pattern of hunting largely reflected wild animal control priorities, and to some extent the resources available. Wherea...

Serum samples collected from Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus; n=472), fallow deer (Dama dama; n=293) and European wild boar (Sus scrofa; n=174) in Asturias, Northern Spain, from 1999 to 2005 were examined for antibodies against a reference panel of 14 Leptospira spp. serovars. Positive antibody titres at a microscopic agglutination test cut-off of 1:80 were detected against serovars...

In Central Europe, protected areas are too small to ensure survival of populations of large carnivores. In the surrounding areas, these species are often persecuted due to competition with game hunters. Therefore, understanding how predation intensity varies spatio-temporally across areas with different levels of protection is fundamental. We investigated the predation patterns of Eurasian lynx...

This paper presents the results of a study on the 137Cs content in liver, kidneys and biceps muscles of red deer (Ceravus elaphus) obtained in Warmia and Mazury in 2000/2001. 93 samples from 51 red deer shot in the communes of Reszel, Lelkowo, Olecko, Kętrzyn, Pisz, Ruciane Nida, Ryn, Szczytno, Orzysz, Rozogi, and Olsztynek were analyzed. Concentrations of radiocesium in several samples of musc...

Reintroductions are important tools for the conservation of individual species, but recently more attention has been paid to the restoration of ecosystem function, and to the importance of carrying out a full risk assessment prior to any reintroduction programme. In much of the Highlands of Scotland, wolves (Canis lupus) were eradicated by 1769, but there are currently proposals for them to be ...