Liquid rabies vaccine distributed throughout Saint John’s Rockwood Park

CTV Atlantic: S.J. park combating rabies Saint John's Rockwood Park is one of the places where the province will leave edible rabies vaccine bait for raccoons and skunks.

The annual fight against rabies moved into one of Canada's largest municipal parks on Thursday.

Workers with Department of Natural Resources are starting to distribute 18,000 rabies capsules throughout Rockwood Park.

"(The capsules) contain a liquid vaccine. It has a wax coating that has an icing sugar marshmallow attractant that's very attractive to raccoons, skunks and foxes," says co-ordinator Mike Allan.

Those are the animals most likely to contract rabies and spread the disease throughout the park.

The bait drop started two years ago but has expanded to include Saint John. The goal is create a buffer of vaccinated wild animals to stop the spread of the disease.

“The city of Saint John is a high density area of people, domesticated animals and wildlife, so it's a high probability if a rabid raccoon did show up in the city of Saint John, the rate of infection would spread and become more of a public health risk," says Allan.

Rabies has been a stubborn and persistent problem is areas west of Saint John, including communities as close as Pennfield. There's never been a confirmed case of rabies in Rockwood Park, and the goal is to keep it that way.

This time of year, the park is a magnet for visitors from all over Canada and the United States.

"Certainly there are a lot of dogs and pets and things around,” says Rockwood Park biologist Emelie Murphy. “We definitely have a concern that if rabies were to get in the area, we're kind of a hotspot here."

Clarence Keyes watches for unusual behavior in skunks, raccoons and squirrels when he walks his dogs in the Rockwood Park.

"My dogs are on the leash the whole time, and on the trails, unless they are bitten by an animal, you'd have to worry," he says.

Three cases of rabies have been confirmed north of St. Andrews so far this year. The bait drop will also include St. Andrews and other communities in southwest New Brunswick.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Mike Cameron.