New Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and minister for the Canadian Wheat Board Chuck Strahl has extended the country’s anthrax compensation payments to owners of bison, llamas, alpacas and cervids such as white-tailed deer and elk. These animal owners were not previously eligible for assistance.

The new terms and conditions will be applied to animals that died after April 1 in order to assist owners whose herds were recently affected by anthrax. Compensation for the expanded list will range from $100 to $500 per animal and was previously available only to owners of cattle, horses, swine, sheep and goats.

Mr Strahl said, "Canada's new government recognises the difficulty many producers are facing due to the current anthrax outbreak. That is why we are extending support to a wider range of animal owners." This assistance is designed to help owners cover the costs of carcass disposal and disinfection of equipment and facilities.

Anthrax is a naturally occurring, non-contagious disease that is most often contracted by animals when they ingest spores which have been exposed as a result of erosion or flooding.