The GNWT has received test results following an investigation into a possible case of anthrax after a bison carcass found on Hwy 3.
Tania Oosting, who is GNWT’s manager of Public Affairs and Communications, told True North FM that delayed test results came in and the news is good.
“Laboratory results have confirmed that the bison carcass found on August 15, 2025, at kilometre 164 on Highway 3 tested negative for anthrax,” said Oosting.
During a recent surveillance flight completed on Aug. 25, 2025 in the North Slave region, the investigation team did not detect any bison carcasses, added Oosting.
Based on the assessments and the results of the testing, the team conducting the investigation decided that no further action is needed.
Last month, aerial surveillance was cancelled due to mechanical issues and due to smoky conditions from a wildfire in the area near Hwy 3. Environmental conditions that the area has been prone to, such as extreme drought and wildfires, can make bison more prone to diseases like anthrax.
Due to a preliminary investigation’s findings, the situation was treated as a suspected anthrax case. An Incident Management Team was assigned to continue to probe the matter and respond to the findings.
Terry Armstrong, a Bison ecologist with GNWT’s department of the Environment and Climate Change told True North FM that the Incident Management Team had safely incinerated the bison carcass on Aug. 16, soon after being spotted.
Because anthrax can be dangerous to people and to other wildlife and animals, the bison carcass was destroyed as a precaution to protect public health, bison populations, and the environment.
The carcass was tested and with results of the tests pending over the last couple of weeks, the public had been advised to refrain from hunting Bison along the Mackenzie River until further notice.
Anthrax monitoring is a routine procedure during the summer months under the Department of Environment and Climate Change’s seasonal practices.
Torres explained that anthrax is not among the most prevalent diseases for bison. Bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis are considered the most prevalent, explained Porres. These diseases are considered to be endemic for bison in the Slave River Lowlands and Wood Buffalo National Park populations, but the Mackenzie and Nahanni populations are considered free of those two diseases.
The Mackenzie population are wood bison. They experienced an anthrax outbreak in 2012, resulting in the death of about 500 bison.
The department asks anyone who would like to report sick or dead bison, call the Bison Control number at 1-867-872-6438 or to contact their local or regional ECC office.
More information about anthrax in Bison is also available on the department’s anthrax outbreak information pages www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/get-latest-anthrax-outbreaks-bison
