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Mule deer tests positive for chronic wasting disease in Yellowstone National Park: The first confirmed positive detection of the disease in Yellowstone - NPS
NEWS RELEASE Mule deer tests positive for chronic wasting disease in Yellowstone National Park Mule deer buck NPS / Neal Herbert | News Release Date: November 14, 2023 Contact: Morgan Warthin , 307-344-2015 MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – Yellowstone National Park and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) recently confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the carcass of an adult mule deer buck found near Yellowstone Lake in the southeastern section of the park. This is the first confirmed positive detection of the disease in Yellowstone National Park. The mule deer buck was originally captured by WGFD staff near Cody, Wyoming, in March 2023 as part of a population dynamics study and fitted with a GPS collar. The collar signaled the animal died mid-October 2023. In coordination with Yellowstone staff, WGFD located the carcass on the Promontory, a landmass that separates the South and Southeast arms of Yellowstone Lake and collected samples for testing. The s