Dholes (Cuon alpinus), or Asiatic wild dogs, are among the world’s least studied endangered carnivore species. Dholes now occupy less than 25% of their historical range, which previously extended across Asia, and are now primarily restricted to protected areas in South and Southeast Asia. Disease is a significant threat to the species’ survival, especially as continued habitat fragmentation leads to smaller populations that have increased contact with pathogen reservoir species such as domestic dogs. Dholes are among the least studied carnivore species because they live in densely forested habitats and are difficult to observe directly. Capturing dholes to collect samples such as blood that could yield insights into pathogen exposure is also difficult due to their elusive nature. 

As the most recent awardee of a Cornell K. Lisa Yang Postdoctoral Fellowship in Wildlife Health, Kristina Ceres ‘15, PhD ‘22, DVM ‘24, aims to study disease dynamics in dholes and other endangered carnivores using DNA extracted from more readily accessible samples such as scat (feces), bypassing the need for hands-on animal evaluations or even direct observations.

“For years, we’ve hypothesized that disease is a threat to dhole conservation but have lacked the tools to investigate this fully,” said Dr. Martin Gilbert, wild carnivore health specialist and Ceres’ mentor. “With Kristina’s arrival, we hope to change that with new approaches to understanding the health threats faced by dholes and other elusive and threatened carnivores.”

Dr. Ceres was selected as an inaugural Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health Fellow following a highly competitive selection process. The fellowship program plays a crucial role in the center’s mission, which includes a focus on training the next generation of wildlife health leaders, emphasizing the application of sound science to shape real-world policy and practice.

Ceres graduated from Cornell’s combined DVM-PhD program in 2024, where she studied molecular epidemiology, pathogen evolution, and conservation genomics. As a veterinary student, Ceres also explored research in wildlife vaccination through an externship at the USDA National Wildlife Research Center, as well as one working on transmissible cancers in Tasmanian devils.

Ceres began her postdoctoral fellowship with a trip to northern Thailand to meet collaborators from Kasetsart University and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. In the field, Ceres and Gilbert assisted collaborators, including Dr. Warisara Thomas, in fieldwork focused on trapping carnivores to identify circulating pathogens. Thomas aims to collect high-value samples from dholes and other carnivores that she captures; however, due to the challenges associated with trapping dholes, only a small number of individuals can be sampled. Although no dholes were trapped during this trip, signs of their presence, such as scats and tracks, were observed. A crab-eating mongoose was successfully captured, and samples were collected under anesthesia that may yield important insights into circulating pathogens that could affect dholes.

How can you study disease in an endangered species that is difficult to see?

Ceres’ research aims to unravel dhole disease and population dynamics using genetic material isolated from scat samples. Compared to invasive sample collection that requires trapping animals, scat samples are easier and less expensive to collect, allowing more individuals to be included in the study. Ceres will analyze both pathogen and host genetic material extracted from scat to study disease transmission pathways and to try to assess the impacts of pathogen presence on dhole population survival. She will also use mathematical models to predict the effects of potential intervention strategies, such as vaccination, on dhole population survival. Through this work, Ceres hopes to address critical gaps in our understanding of disease risks to dholes and other understudied “underdog” endangered carnivore species.

“This fellowship is unique among postdoctoral fellowships in that it challenges researchers to focus on questions that have real-world conservation impact,” said Ceres. “I’m excited to be part of the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health team, and will do all I can to help develop solutions that ensure healthy carnivore populations into the future.”

Photos provided by Dr. Kristina Ceres.