'You can see the icicle in the vaccine': vaccinating a nervous elk in freezing temps requires lots of patience
Training is the name of the game when it comes to vaccinating elk.
It's not easy being an elk, or being their doctor. One of the largest members of the deer family, elk were almost hunted to extinction in North America. And as if that weren't bad enough, they're also susceptible to infectious diseases that spread easily through a herd. This means they need regular vaccinations. Which leads to another problem: elk are notoriously timid. Thankfully, the staff at Assiniboine Park Conservancy in Winnipeg have a plan for that. They've been training their elk to get vaccinated for a while now, giving them treats in exchange for positioning themselves to receive a needle in their backside.
"The elk are used to coming up to the fence and something touching them in the rump," says head veterinarian Dr. Chris Enright. "And today, what's gonna touch them in the rump is a needle with a bit of vaccine inside."
He says that the shots include rabies vaccinations and something called a clostridial, which protects against various muscle and stomach diseases.
Performing these vaccinations outdoors, when the windchill is roughly -25 C, is tough. At one point, while trying to vaccinate an elk named Gabby, the vaccine actually starts to freeze. As Enright points out while looking at the syringe, "You can see the icicle in the vaccine."
Eventually, after thawing the vaccine and a lot of time spent coaxing the reluctant patient, Enright and veterinary technologist Megan Desai manage to give Gabby her shot.
One elk down, the rest of the five-elk herd to go.
Also on episode 8 of Arctic Vets, the team tries to find out why Arctic fox Luna isn't eating, Dr. Stephen and C-Jae study bears in the wild, and wolf Onyx gets her tumour examined.
Watch Arctic Vets, Fridays at 8:30 (9 NT) on CBC, or stream it on CBC Gem.