Skip to main content

Story: Diseases of sheep, cattle and deer

Scrapie scare

Image
Scrapie scare

If scrapie became established in New Zealand sheep it would prevent the export of breeding stock, embryos and semen to many other countries. Consequently, when it was detected in this research flock being quarantined on Mana Island in 1978, there was no alternative but to kill and bury all the animals.

Using this item

Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: AANR 6325 W3302 10

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Gary Clark, Neville Grace and Ken Drew, Diseases of sheep, cattle and deer – Sheep contagious diseases, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/17436/scrapie-scare (accessed 12 July 2026).

Story by Gary Clark, Neville Grace and Ken Drew, published 1 March 2009.