One of the elk released into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was euthanized Sept. 23 after exhibiting symptoms associated with a parasitic worm.

Cataloochee ranger Walt West observed the elk on one of the horse trails exhibiting neurological symptoms. The elk was floundering and unable to maintain its balance.

As of Friday, Oct. 5, results from the necropsy performed at the University of Tennessee were not complete. GSMNP spokesperson Nancy Gray said, however, that the symptoms were consistent with minengial worms.

The meningeal worm is a parasite often associated with white-tailed deer. The white-tailed deer is a primary host. It contracts the worm by inadvertently ingesting snails, the secondary host.

The worm matures in the deer’s stomach and migrates via the spinal column to the brain, where it lays its eggs. Eggs are deposited in the blood stream and excreted along with fecal material. Snails ingest the fecal material and the cycle begins again. For some reason the worm is not harmful to white-tails but can be fatal when ingested by other cervids (members of the deer family) like elk and moose.

Jennifer Murrow, a University of Tennessee graduate student and field research leader for the experimental elk release in the Smokies, said meningeal worm was one of the mortality factors considered before initiating the experiment. She said the environmental impact statement prepared by the Park Service reported a probable mortality rate of 1 percent or less to the parasite.

Murrow said there was no visible evidence of tuberculosis, bruceolosis or chronic wasting disease. She said the cow, number 12, appeared “physically perfect.” According to Murrow, all internal organs looked fine and there was a healthy layer of fat.

“We saw her the night before, feeding, and she looked fine,” Murrow said.

In other news concerning the newly released elk into Cataloochee Valley, number 26, a bull, has returned from his extended retreat to an area near the Haywood County landfill in White Oak. The calf near White Oak, however, is still there and appears to be doing fine.

Mating was also confirmed in Cataloochee on Sept. 25.

 

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The Smoky Mountain News