Table Of Content

document Historic, archived Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. /I Ag84M 1 t#fS The National Wildlife Research Center ICpjA United States Animal and VJ<)A-Jr\ Department of Plant Health Agriculture Inspection Service USDA United States The National Wildlife Department of Agriculture Research Center Animal and Plant Health Inspection Providing Innovative Solutions to Service Human-Wildlife Conflicts Miscellaneous Publication No. 1595 Welcome Welcome to the National Wildlife Re- NWRC seeks to protect wildlife from search Center (NWRC), the primary the adverse effects of human activi- research facility within the Wildlife ties while also reducing the damage Services (WS) program of the U.S. and hazards that wildlife causes to Department of Agriculture's (USDA) agriculture, forests, industry, and Animal and Plant Health Inspection other areas of human involvement. Service (APHIS). NWRC provides The reconciliation of these two con- scientific information on wildlife, its flicting priorities is the challenge that NWRC habitat, and its relationship to ag- scientists face today riculture and public safety Here at the Center and at our nine field sta- At the Center, we welcome the tions, specialists conduct scientific public, including students, legisla- inquiries into the problems of wildlife tors, scientists, agricultural damage and look for solutions to producers, and other interested these problems. individuals. We encourage you to ask our employees questions. Philadelphia ^-V-Gainesville NWRC fieldstations are strategicallylocated throughout the UnitedStates to be near wildlife andhabitats ofprimaryinterest. Mission and Objectives NWRC is the Federal institution NWRC develops effective wildlife Evaluating the impact of wildlife devoted to resolving problems damage management methods by: management practices on wild- caused by the interaction of wild life and the environment; animals and society. The Center • Assessing damage and other applies scientific expertise to the problems caused by wildlife to ag- Developing and improving development of practical methods riculture, the environment, human technology to reduce wildlife to resolve these problems and to health and safety and endan- problems; maintain the quality of the gered and threatened species; environments shared with wildlife. Supporting registration of • Investigating the biology be- chemicals, vaccines, and drugs havior, and ecology of problem used to manage wildlife; and animals; Transferring scientific and technical information. NWRC scientists use manymodern methods in theirattempts to resolve conflicts between people and wildlife. (APHIS photo by Diana Dwyer.) The Problem and the Solution No wild animal is undesirable. Yet NWRC evaluates damage situations ogy and materials for reducing dam- almost any wild animal can cause and develops methods and tools age caused by animals. Through damage to crops, be a hazard to to reduce or eliminate damage and the publication of results and the aviation, or become a threat to hu- resolve conflicts. NWRC scientists exchange of technical information, man safety. Deer and smaller mam- study birds, mammals, rodents, the Center provides valuable data mals can consume newly planted invasive species, and other wildlife and expertise to the public and the tree seedlings and other crops. that cause serious but localized scientific community, as well as to Birds in large flocks can decimate damage problems. The Center APHIS'WS program. grain and sunflower fields. Preda- designs studies to ensure that the tors attack livestock and domestic methods developed to alleviate wild- animals. Wild animals can spread life damage are biologically sound, diseases such as rabies, West Nile effective, safe, economical, and virus, chronic wasting disease, and acceptable to the public. NWRC bovine tuberculosis. Invasive wildlife scientists produce scientific informa- species can decimate endangered tion, appropriate methods, technol- or threatened native species. Research on reproductive control ofoverabundantanimalpopulations, particularly those inhabiting urban orsuburban settings such as Canada geese anddeer, is a high priority within the WSprogram. (APHIS photo by John Cummings.) NWRC History and Organization of the Established in 1940 under th—e U.S. The Center relies on the services Bureau of Biological Survey the of people with additional special- forerunner of the Department of ties through extensive cooperative the Inter—ior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife ties with universities, not-for-profit Service the Center was trans- research facilities, and other pub- ferred in 1986 to APHIS as part of lic and private research entities. WS NWRC the Department of Agriculture's has achieved an integrated, program. The Center employs more multidisciplinary research agenda than 160 scientists, technicians, that is uniquely suited to provide and support personnel at its head- scientific information and solutions quarters in Fort Collins. CO. and at to wildlife damage problems. Blackbirds annually damage $5 field stations in several other States. million to $8 million worth ofripen- Scientific and support staff, all ing sunflowerin the northern Great focused on particular wildlife Plains. (APHIS photo by George damage issues, specialize in the Linz.) following disciplines: Animal behavior/psychology Research Activities Animal care Archives management Biology Chemistry With the diverse scientific expertise Development of integrated pest NWRC Computer science of its staff and collaborators, management strategies to DNA forensics assembles teams that are devoted reduce rodent damage to crops Ecology to finding innovative, cutting-edge and rangeland; Electronics solutions to wildlife damage issues. Economics Examples of the diversity of re- Development of management Immunology search currently under way at the strategies to reduce bird Information transfer Center include the following: predation at aquaculture Pharmacology facilities; Physiology • Development and Quality assurance implementation of strategies to Registration of chemicals and Statistics manage blackbird damage to drugs for use as wildlife damage Toxicology agricultural crops in the United management agents; Veterinary medicine States; Wildlife biology Analysis of taste and olfaction Zoology • Development of new solutions to in selected wildlife species and control overabundant wildlife development of nonlethal populations through biotechnol- chemical repellants for birds and ogy and immunocontraceptive mammals; vaccines; Development of techniques to • Development and evaluation of manage wildlife that pose new techniques to resolve hazards to aviation; predator depredation on endangered and threatened Development of chemical control wildlife, as well as domestic methods to manage the invasive animals; brown treesnake on Guam: and • Studies of the ecology of coyote Identification of the role of depredation; wildlife in disease transmission and development of a variety of • Identification of techniques to reduce mammal damage to techniques to combat the spread of wildlife diseases to livestock, forest resources; wildlife, and humans. Cooperative Activities To extend its capabilities for re- University of Nevada NewYork Bureau of Wildlife search and training, the Center University of Pennsylvania Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers establishes a number of formal or University of Wisconsin Association informal cooperative programs with University of Wyoming USDA Forest Service universities. Our university coopera- Utah State University U.S. Department of Defense tors include the following: U.S. Federal Aviation Administration The Center also partners with nu- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Colorado State University merous State, Federal, and private U.S. Geological Survey Cornell University organizations. Examples of these Washington Forest Protection Mississippi State University include the following: Association North Dakota State University Wisconsin Department of Natural The Ohio State University Airline Pilots Association Resources The Pennsylvania State University American Sheep Industry Queensland [Australia] University of Catfish Farmers of America Technology International Association of Fish and Texas A&M University-Kingsville Game Agencies University of Colorado Louisiana Rice Growers Association University of Florida Michigan Department of Health University of Nebraska National Sunflower Association Wildlife rabies poses significant risks to humans, theirlivestock and pets, and to wildlife. (APHIS photo by Richard Engeman.) NWRC scientists are studying alternative methods forreducing wildlifepreda- tion on endangeredand threatenedspecies, such as the California least tern. (APHIS photo by Ken Tope.)