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Cornell University

Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center
for Wildlife Health

Blogs from the Field

A healthy future for wildlife, people, and planet.

Aerial view of two humpback whales near the surface of the ocean.
Aquatic Animal Health The Student Experience
Chile
Guafo Island
Drone
Applied Research
Student
Student Experience
Student Experiential Learning
Student Learning
Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health’s Student Support Fund
Student Support
Student Support Fund
College of Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary Student
Veterinary Students
Seals
Whale
Remote Sampling
Patagonia
marine mammal
Disease Ecology
Aquatic Animal Health
Aquatic Animal Medicine
Aquatic Animals
Aquatic Ecosystem Health
Aquatic Medicine
Aquatic Wildlife Medicine
Aquatics
Genetic Samples
Emerging Pathogens
Disease Surveillance
Pathogen Surveillance
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
San Diego Wildlife Alliance
Cornell
Conservation Biology
Aquatic veterinary medicine
Penguin

A Month in Chile and a Clearer Path Forward

June 10, 2026
I was still in pajamas when I ran down to the beach. Drone in one hand, a drybag slung over my shoulder, I picked my way over slick, uneven rocks from the cabin to the shoreline....
Amanda is crouching down and opening a small crate on the edge of a lush pond.
Wildlife Medicine Aquatic Animal Health Wildlife Pathology The Student Experience
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
ODFW
Wildlife Veterinarian
Veterinarian
Career
Veterinary Career
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Wildlife Conservation
Veterinary Student
Veterinary Students
Deer
Chronic Wasting Disease
Bats
Externship
Veterinary Externship
Bighorn Sheep
Avian Flu
Avian Influenza
Human-Wildlife Conflict
Human and Wildlife Health
Conservation Biology
Wolves
Wild Turkey
Agriculture
Agricultural Practices
Wildlife Pathology
Necropsy
Reproduction
Reproductive Biology
Reproductive Medicine
Wildlife Populations
Wildlife Population Health
Disease Ecology
Wildlife Disease
Aquatic Animal Health
Aquatic Animal Medicine
Aquatic Animals
Aquatic Medicine
Conservation Through Public Health
Oregon Wildlife Safari

From the Mountains to the Sea and Everything in Between: A Journey with Oregon’s State Wildlife Veterinarian

January 13, 2026
On the first day of my externship with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, I shook hands with Dr. Julia Burco, a state wildlife veterinarian, and I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and fulfillment....
A person wearing blue gloves is focusing on a tan gerbil as they perform a blood draw from its tail.
Wildlife Medicine 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)...
Two wildlife workers handle a tranquilized animal beside a large metal crate labeled "WARNING WILD ANIMALS" in a dry grassland, with mountains in the background and a red helicopter flying in the sky.
Aquatic Animal Health Wildlife Medicine The Student Experience
Conservation Biology
Wildlife
Conservation
Jake Holshuh
Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health’s Student Support Fund
Student
Free-ranging Wildlife Conservation
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Externship
Veterinary Externship
University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Wildlife Health Lab
Aerial Darting
UC Berkeley California Wolf Project
grey wolf
Population Health
One Health
Wildlife Disease
Wildlife Toxicology
Point Reyes National Seashore
Disease Ecology
Human-Wildlife Conflict
Oiled Wildlife Care Network
Oil Spill
UC Santa Cruz
Marine Wildlife
Wildlife Veterinarian
Wildlife Pathology
Applied Research
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Elephant Seals

A Snapshot of California’s Wildlife Work

September 25, 2025
In an ever-changing society, the roles of biologists and veterinarians remain essential in the conservation of wildlife and biodiversity more broadly....