The American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners (AASRP) issues policy statement that opposes banning camelid pack animals on public lands
The American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners (AASRP), issued the following policy statement in February 2020. This policy statement comes from a professional association of approximately 1000 U.S. practicing, research, and regulatory veterinarians charged with protecting and guarding the health of the domestic and wild species. They understand better than anyone the disease interactions of each species both within and across species lines.
There exists concern that the entry of camelid pack animals (llamas, alpacas) onto public lands poses a
potential risk of disease to resident endangered or threatened ungulate populations including Boreal
Caribou, Northern Mountain Caribou, Central Mountain Caribou, Southern Mountain Caribou, Bighorn
Sheep, Mountain Goat, Dall’s Sheep, Stone’s Sheep and Roosevelt Elk. The diseases of concern by National
Parks and wildlife managers include: Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, Mannheimia
haemolytica, Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis, Pasteurella spp., contagious
ecthyma, bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), and bluetongue virus. Transmission of pathogens from cattle
and sheep to wild ungulates under natural conditions has been well documented in the literature.
Examples include respiratory disease and fatal pneumonia following contact between domestic and
bighorn sheep (Schommer & Woolever, 2008), M. bovis from cattle to elk in Riding Mountain National
Park (Garde et al., 2009), and BVDV from cattle to deer (Passler & Walz, 2010). However, there have been
no peer-reviewed publications documenting pathogen transmission from camelids to wild ungulates or to
domestic sheep and goats for the pathogens of concern. The American Association of Small Ruminant
Practitioners is opposed to banning camelid pack animals on public lands until there is scientific
justification for this action.
Revised February 2020
Conclusion:
AASRP policy specifically addresses the disease pathogens cited in all three Canadian "risk assessments" being used by various public agencies as basis to ban pack camelids on public lands and notes there is no peer reviewed publications documenting pathogen transmission from camelids to wild ungulates or to domestic sheep and goats for the pathogens of concern. Therefore, it seems ill-advised to disregard the recommendations of this professional, science-based coalition of veterinarians when formulating public land management policies for National Parks or any public lands.