Category: News

At least nine bodies of prey were found in the stomach of the wildcat that was run over in the Dutch town of Nijswiller in February 2017. The animal was in good health and it appears that pure misfortune led to it being run over whilst crossing a country lane. Wildcats have been seen in the Netherlands for a few

Much like last year, there have been large numbers of reports of dead blackbirds, the majority of which are thought to be infected with Usutu virus.

Raccoons (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and raccoon dogs (Procyon lotor) in Europe are growing in number and increasing their range. Both species can carry pathogens that can cause disease in humans.

What is it? The Usutu virus originated in Africa and is named after the Usutu river in Swaziland. It can cause disease in birds and is transmitted by midges. The virus rarely causes disease in humans.

In the first half of 2017 six weasels were submitted to the DWHC for post-mortem exam. All six animals died of trauma. Skin perforations suggestive of predation were seen in three cases, two of which also had pneumonia. It is possible that this illness had weakened the weasels thereby making them more vulnerable

In March 2017, tularemia was detected in the carcases of two hares found dead in the Kromme Rijn region of Utrecht province that were submitted to the DWHC for post-mortem exam.

Help mee en meld een dode wasbeerhond of wasbeer. De wasbeerhond en de wasbeer worden in Nederland in het oostelijke grensgebied steeds vaker waargenomen. Beide dieren kunnen ziekteverwekkers bij zich dragen die een risico kunnen vormen voor de gezondheid van mensen.

The wolf found dead along the A28 at the beginning of March belonged to a pack of wolves in Germany. DNA testing has shown that the healthy male wolf of about 1.5 years old was a member of the Cuxhaven pack based north of the town of Bremen in Lower Saxony. This is approximately 200 km from the place where the

In the summer and autumn of 2014 hundreds of dead squirrels were reported to the DWHC; observers described them as literally falling dead out of the trees. Investigations carried out by the Dutch Wildlife Health Centre (DWHC) and the Zoogdiervereniging (the Dutch Organisation for Native Mammal Research and