In order to study the pathogenesis of chronic wasting disease in controlled conditions, researchers at Colorado State University, Fort Collins maintain captive populations of Reeve's muntjac deer and white-tailed deer, which must be housed indoors to limit exposure and cross-contamination of experimental animals. Erin McNulty and colleagues have identified some specific practices that allow their program to successfully maintain these colonies and handle these animals for research. They describe how they accommodate some of the unique physiological and behavioral aspects of these uncommon research models, with particular focuses on husbandry and anesthetic medication. Such first-hand experiences could be of great use to any researchers considering studies involving cervid species in captivity.
See page 140
