One of 126 urban deer tests positive for wasting disease in B.C.

Deer walk near the Granby River in Grand Forks, B.C., on May 16, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

VICTORIA — One of 126 urban deer culled in southeastern British Columbia to determine if they were sick has tested positive for chronic wasting disease.

The government culled the animals in Cranbrook and Kimberley last month to determine if the disease was spreading in the urban deer population.

Five other cases of chronic wasting have been confirmed in the southeast corner of the province in the last year.

The province says chronic wasting disease is a fatal infection that spreads in deer, elk, moose and caribou through bodily fluids, shared spaces and grooming.

A statement from the province earlier this year stated the risk of spread is higher in urban deer because of population density.

The statement said the cull would be conducted as safely and humanely as possible.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 20, 2025.