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Portrait of a Black bear

A new paper published by the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab team and partners describes the emergence of mange in New York State black bears.
Black bear walking through coniferous forest

For Your Information

Mange is a parasitic skin disease found in free-ranging wildlife populations and has been increasingly reported in black bears over the last decade in New York State. This paper led by Cornell researchers describes the geographic, seasonal, and demographic factors associated with mange in NYS black bears.
A flock of Snow and Canada Geese in a snowy field by Christine Bogdanowicz.

A new avian influenza, H5N1, is circulating rapidly across the country and affecting domestic chickens, wild birds and even mammals. Cornell's Dr. Krysten Schuler states that adding H5N1 as another stressor for birds whose lives are already challenged by climate change will start to have a broad-scale impact.
A Moose shown walking in the woods.

Moose returned to New York in the 1980s, but their population hasn’t grown as scientists expected. Research teams, including those at Cornell University and the Shingle Shanty Preserve and Research Station, are studying whether ecological and/or disease issues are causing this stagnation in moose population growth.
A graphic representation of the Atlantic flyway by Chloe Lam

As part of a collaborative network, Cornell scientists are helping to track and detect highly pathogenic avian influenza in New York State. Cornell's Dr. Krysten Schuler notes that in addition to migratory birds, other wild birds can also be infected, such as bald eagles, owls, and other birds of prey.
A mature Bald Eagle sitting in a tree by Christine Bogdanowicz

A bald eagle surprised fellow travelers as it was spotted being taken through a TSA checkpoint at a U.S. airport. Cornell's Dr. Krysten Schuler, who led a study showing bald eagles' population size is being threatened by lead poisoning, comments, "Even though the population seems like it's recovered, some perturbation could come along that could cause eagles to decline again."
Wildlife biologist shown in a lab with vertebrate bones on shelves.

The effects of lead poisoning can vary depending on exposure, but they’re often devastating. Cornell wildlife ecologist Dr. Krysten Schuler notes that lead impacts every system in the body and that while eagles have been carefully studied, it’s likely that other animals are affected by lead poisoning too.
Bald eagle about to land on a dead tree.

With millions of chickens on commercial poultry farms sickened and dying from a highly virulent strain of avian flu in recent months, it might have escaped notice that some of the nation’s most stunning wild birds have also been felled by the virus.
A Bald Eagle shown eating at a deer carcass

The bald eagle’s comeback is one of America’s most famous conservation success stories. But despite the boom in their numbers, bald eagles still face many threats, including poisoning from ingesting lead bullets.
Elizabeth Bunting at her desk by Ryan Young-Cornell University

The New York State Wildlife Health Program is a key partnership between Cornell and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The program coordinates responses when disease strikes New York’s wild animals and it helps prevent outbreaks, in domestic animals and people too, by translating data into policy.