Risk of capture-related mortality in large free-ranging mammals: experiences from Scandinavia

摘要: Abstract Chemical capture and anaesthesia of free-ranging mammals will always involve some risk mortality even in healthy animals. Deaths may be directly or indirectly attributable to the anaesthetic event itself (e.g. drug overdose, drowning during induction dart trauma) caused by secondary effects from stress, myopathy, trauma instrumentation with radio-transmitters). In long-term research projects on five major wildlife species Scandinavia, capture-related rates (number captures) were: moose Alces alces 0.7% (N = 2,816), brown bears Ursus arctos 0.9% 1,079), wolverines Gulo gulo 2.8% 461), Eurasian lynx Lynx 3.9% 380), gray wolves Canis lupus 3.4% 89). We suggest that professionals should strive for a zero rate but adopt standard > 2% probably not accepted any large mammalian species. This can achieved by: 1) using an experienced professional tea...