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March 2021

A herd of wild sheep

Announcement

The Wild Carnivore Health Program was awarded a grant from the Wild Sheep Foundation to introduce a program of pathogen surveillance focused on argali and Siberian ibex to help maintain viable herds of wild sheep and goats in Kyrgyzstan and elsewhere in Central Asia.
An Amur Tiger shown resting

Canine distemper threatens a key group of Amur tigers, but an unconventional vaccination program could help. Researchers have found that vaccinating tigers for canine distemper virus can play a key role in improving conservation outcomes for small, isolated tiger populations at risk.
Jaguar dental extraction © William Fugina

Research analyzing the prevalence of dental diseases in captive jaguars in Belize was recently published by Lindsey Schneider, DVM ’13, and a team of veterinary colleagues in the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. Dr. Schneider completed the research during her residency in Dentistry and Oral Surgery at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
A rare albino porcupine

With 1,750 native wild animals being treated last year, the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital provides free, lifesaving care to a wide range of species and invaluable training for Cornell veterinary students.
White-tailed deer buck by Christine Bogdanowicz

Announcement

Chronic wasting disease is a progressive, fatal, degenerative neurological disease of captive and free ranging deer, elk, and moose. The Cornell Wildlife Health Lab received a grant to assess and quantify risk factors for the introduction of chronic wasting disease in Virginia and to design a state-wide surveillance plan.
Deforestation

Human behaviors have led to "our broken relationship with wild nature," says the Cornell Wildlife Health Center's Dr. Steve Osofsky in Thomas L. Friedman's latest New York Times column discussing what we must do to prevent the next pandemic.
Aquatics resident treating animal

Podcast

On this Aquadocs Podcast, host and Cornell veterinary student Michelle Greenfield, DVM '23, interviews Cornell alum Tatiana Weisbrod, DVM '17, Resident in Aquatic Animal Health at the University of Florida, about her career path and advice for aspiring aquatic animal veterinarians.
Tiger shown walking with trees and grass in background by Ronald Gilbert

While Indian tigers have the highest genetic variation compared to other subspecies of the feline across the world, their populations continue to be fragmented by loss of habitat, leading to inbreeding and potential loss of this diversity.
Tiger camera trap image courtesy of Nature Conservation Division, DoFPS, MoAF, Bhutan

For Your Information

Neurological disease in wild tigers has recently gained prominence following a series of fatal canine distemper virus infections affecting tigers in Russia and elsewhere. However, new research into a similar case affecting a wild Bengal tiger in Bhutan diagnosed a brain lesion caused by a human tapeworm - the first time the condition has been recorded in a non-domestic cat species.
Exploring ways to prevent pandemics symposium

Video

Watch leading public health and conservation experts discuss how future pandemics can be averted if the world’s governments eliminate unnecessary wildlife trade and adopt holistic One Health approaches. The event was co-hosted by Cornell University and WWF.
Gerenuks at White Oak Conservation Center

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine alumnus, Zachary Dvornicky-Raymond ’15, DVM ’19, recently published a study in the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine regarding validation of a portable, point-of-care test for pregnancy diagnosis in wild ungulates (hoofed mammals).