Up in the Parque Natural de la Sierra de Baza the bodies of many deer have been found, starting at the end of March

Over a hundred deer carcasses have appeared since then and none with signs of having died violently.

Consequently, the Manager of the Parque Natural Sierra de Baza has activated a Programa de Vigilancia Epidemiológica for all of the wild animals in the park, as well as opening an investigation into what has caused these deaths.

According to the Asociación Proyecto Sierra de Baza this situation coincides with the heavy rains that fell in the area during the month of March.

Following the established protocol, the environmental authorities for the park sent three deer carcasses to the Centro de Análisis y Diagnóstico de la Fauna Silvestre de Andalucía (CAD), which is based in Málaga, for detailed autopsies to try and establish the cause of death behind this high mortality rate.

The Proyecto Sierra de Baza has ruled out scabies, brucellosis or blue tongue, as well as the disease known as the sheep bot fly (Oestrus ovis): a widespread species of fly known for its parasitic predation and damage to sheep, deer, goats and sometimes cattle.

Furthermore, it does not appear to be a contagious illness, as it has only affected deer and not spread to farm animals in the area such as goats or sheep.

There have been cases like this one in other parts of the country, such as those that occurred in Sierra de La Culebra, in Zamora, (Álava) or in Los Alcornocales (Cádiz), where there large numbers of dead deer were found, which was attributed to stress. (drought, followed by excess rain and very low temperatures.)

(News: Baza, Altiplano, Granada, Andalucia)