Visual inspection of carcasses to assess the individual condition of European roe deer Capreolus capreolus

Abstract

The aim of the study was to demonstrate correlation between selected body condition indices of roe deer Capreolus capreolus (KFI, carcass weight) and the health status of the carcass (i.e. pathological changes found through external and internal examination of the carcass) of deer killed by hunting or road traffic. The study material consisted of 34 carcasses of roe deer found dead due to road collisions or obtained through hunting in accordance with the Principles of Individual and Population Selection of Game Animals in Poland. The results showed a significant correlation between the occurrence of disease signs (especially the presence of parasites) and the mean values of indices describing the individual condition of animals (carcass weight, KFI). This confirms that the preliminary examination of game harvested and animals killed by road collisions plays an important role in inhibiting the spread of epizootic diseases and in assessing the individual condition of animals.