Colorado Lifts Quarantine at Collbran Ranch

January 2, 2009 — 

The Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Colorado Department of Agriculture have lifted quarantine orders for Little Creek Ranch, a commercial hunting ranch near Collbran, CO. The agencies issued joint quarantines for the property on November 26, after a load of wild hogs and exotic sheep were seized attempting to enter the ranch in violation of state law and without required paperwork.

It is illegal to transport or possess feral hogs in Colorado. Transportation of other livestock into the state requires proper health inspection certificates and appropriate import permits.

Tests of the feral hogs in the trailer and within the facility were positive for pseudorabies, a viral disease that is highly contagious in hogs and can affect other wildlife, livestock and domestic animals.

As there is no treatment for the disease, the hogs in the trailer were euthanized after they tested positive for the disease. Tests were then conducted on feral hogs in the facility. After tests showed pseudorabies present on the ranch, state officials ordered the ranch owner to depopulate all hogs on the property and continued the quarantine. The ranch owner cooperated with the order to eliminate hogs and a Christmas Eve inspection by officials with the Division of Wildlife, Department of Agriculture and USDA Wildlife Services showed no evidence of hogs on the property.

The Little Creek Ranch remains under orders to eliminate any hogs detected on the ranch or on adjacent public lands, where escaped hogs have been detected on previous occasions. As transportation or possession of feral hogs is illegal, the ranch is prohibited from having any feral hogs on the property in the future.

The investigation into the transportation of the animals seized in the trailer is continuing.

Source:
Colorado Department of Agriculture