The province has a new, “state of the art” wildlife laboratory in Pasadena.

Minister responsible, Elvis Loveless, got a tour of the new facility on Friday.

The lab will allow staff to better archive and store specimens and will support the re-launch of the Big Game Jawbone Collection Program as well as the Canid Lineage Project.

The jawbone program will allow staff to study the teeth of moose harvested in the province to learn more about the animal’s age, health, size, and tooth wear.

Genetic samples will also be collected from any “coyotes” larger than 15 kg for analysis to determine their lineage and see if they are a coyote, a wolf, or some form of hybrid.

Other lab services include space for necropsies, preparation of specimens, habitat assessment, the study of gut contents, and disease surveillance.