Yellowstone National Park says that a mule deer buck found dead in the southeastern section of the park tested positive for CWD, a contagious disease that’s fatal to deer, elk and moose.
According to a Tuesday afternoon news release from the park, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department GPS-collared the deer this spring as part of a population dynamics study. Its collar shows it died in mid October.
The park estimates 10 to 15 percent of mule deer that migrate into the southeastern section of the park from Wyoming may have CWD.
Staff say next steps include more sampling of carcasses, monitoring of animals and cross-jurisdictional communication to identify areas of the park most at risk.
The park says it’s revising its Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Plan in light of the detection and expects to finish the update next year.
A representative was not available for comment by the deadline for this story.
