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In the News

An Eastern Coyote seen trotting in a field

For Your Information

As part of the national recovery effort, endangered black-footed ferrets were reintroduced to the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota in 2000. In an effort to determine possible causes of the population decline after the reintroduction, researchers conducted a pathogen survey using coyotes as a sentinel animal.
Rhino hanging upside down

For Your Information

In a new study published in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine scientists have found that when moving endangered rhinoceroses in an effort to save the species, hanging them upside down by their feet is the safest way to go.
Sue Holt with husband in Africa

Cornell Wildlife Health Center donor Sue Holt describes how her special connection to southern Africa led her to support our Beyond Fences program and make a significant difference in the well-being of people and wildlife in the region. 
Siberian tiger walking in snow

In this commentary, Cornell's Dr. Martin Gilbert and WCS's Dale Miquelle argue that it is incumbent upon science-based conservation agencies to consider vaccinating high-risk tiger populations where epidemiological research indicates that it is necessary to mitigate extinction risks.
Juvenile Gyrfalcon being released

As temperatures warm, pathogens that were once unable to survive the harsh weather conditions of the far north are now encroaching northward and could become a substantial problem for Gyrfalcons.
Tiger sitting in grass

A team led by Cornell's Dr. Martin Gilbert has shown that vaccinating endangered Amur tigers is the only viable method of protecting the species from canine distemper virus, which causes respiratory and neurological infections in tigers and other carnivores.
Cornell Red-tailed Hawk in flight by Christine Bogdanowicz 2020

The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine has released its 2020 Annual Report, detailing its progress in its key strategic priority areas, including "Advances in Animal, Human and Ecosystem Health."
Two Amur Tigers resting in the snow; photo provided by Wildlife Conservation Society

We vaccinate our dogs against the canine distemper virus, but it also affects wildlife, including the rare Amur tiger. Our own Dr. Martin Gilbert’s pioneering work shows how vaccinating Amur tigers against canine distemper virus could reduce their risk of extinction.
Siberian Tiger standing in snow

New research published by Cornell Wildlife Health Center's Martin Gilbert in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that vaccination of endangered Amur (Siberian) tigers is the only practical strategy to protect these big cats from a dangerous disease in their natural habitat in the Russian Far East.
Amir Sadaula collecting blood from an immobilized rhino.

As I write this in summer 2020, it is almost six months since the first reports that a mysterious new pathogen was emerging in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Given the pandemic that ensued, few of us remain unaware of the omnipotent reach of wildlife-origin microbes to disrupt our health, our economies and our liberty....