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Cornell University

Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center
for Wildlife Health

Blog

Blogs from the Field

A healthy future for wildlife, people, and planet.

A person wearing blue gloves is focusing on a tan gerbil as they perform a blood draw from its tail.
Planetary Health The Student Experience
Kruger National Park
Organization for Tropical Studies
Cornell Expanding Horizons
Parasite
South Africa
Skukuza Science Learning Initiative
Fieldwork
microscopic
mice
Hemoparasites
Bird
Bird Host
Zoonotic Disease
One Health
Disease Transmission
Snail
Parasitology
Freshwater
Disease Ecology
Host Ecology
Molecular Diagnostics
DNA
DNA Samples
PCR
Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health’s Student Support Fund
Student Experience
Veterinary Student
Foot and Mouth Disease
Ecosystem
Hands-on Experience
Infectious Disease Modeling
Pathogen
dehorning

Parasites, Preservation, and PCRs: A Wild Summer in the South African Bush

October 15, 2025
I had the opportunity to spend two months in the middle of Kruger National Park (KNP) in collaboration with the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS)...
Ava kneels next to a sedated lion lying on the ground at night. The lion’s face is partially covered with a cloth, and Ava is holding a bag of medical supplies, smiling at the camera. A vehicle is visible in the background.
Wild Carnivores The Student Experience
Namibia
DNA Samples
Lion
Veterinary Student
Fieldwork
Free-ranging Wildlife Conservation
University of Namibia
Expanding Horizons
Community Livelihoods
hyena
Skeleton Coast
Brown Hyena Project
Carnivore
Wild Carnivores
Carnivore Populations
Data
jackals
Lead
Etosha National Park
Etosha Ecological Institute
Elephant
Poaching
Black Rhino
wildebeest
dehorning
Applied Research
Human-Wildlife Conflict

From Books to the Bush: How Namibia Transformed My Veterinary Education

October 02, 2025
It’s 3 a.m. in the Namibian bush. A team of us circles around a sedated lion to take DNA samples while two other male lions lurk nearby. We haven’t gotten an ounce of sleep, and I haven’t had a hot meal in a week, but I've never felt more alive than at this moment....