Catalyzing Conservation Fund Awards

2025

Capacity Building for Rapid Response to Turtle Confiscation

The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is a long-lived, ecologically significant species native to the eastern United States. Classified as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is also a species of conservation concern in many eastern states. Population declines have been driven by habitat loss, emerging diseases, and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. In New York, the frequency of confiscations and voluntary surrenders of illegally held turtles has increased, underscoring the urgent need for science-backed protocols that safeguard the health of confiscated individuals and free-ranging populations.

A partnership between the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (forming the New York State Wildlife Health Program) and the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital facilitates medical treatment and temporary care for confiscated turtles. However, before the animals can be released, comprehensive disease screening is essential to prevent pathogen transmission to wild populations.

This project aims to validate and implement a novel multiplex quantitative PCR assay targeting four key respiratory pathogens of concern in turtles: ranavirus, herpesvirus, Mycoplasma, and adenovirus. These diagnostic tests will inform release decisions and reduce disease risk to free-ranging turtles. In the short term, this work will enable the safe release of these trafficked turtles into suitable wild habitats. In the long term, it will strengthen diagnostic capacity, establish a replicable framework for safe and efficient turtle repatriation, and advance regional efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade.

Investigators: Alyssa Kaganer (Department of Public and Ecosystem Health), Jennifer Bloodgood (Department of Public and Ecosystem Health), Sara Childs-Sanford (Department of Clinical Sciences), Melissa Fadden (Animal Health Diagnostic Center), Cynthia Hopf-Dennis (Department of Clinical Sciences)

Partners: Lisa Pipino (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)

Assessment of the Conservation and Management Needs of the Rapidly Declining Eastern Rockhopper Penguin on New Zealand’s Sub-Antarctic Islands

Seabirds around the world face an uncertain future. Recent studies have indicated that up to 70% of seabird species are currently in decline. Factors such as warming oceans, changes in prey abundance, conflict with fisheries, and disease outbreaks are often cited as major concerns. However, there is currently limited information on the causes of decline in many seabirds, particularly penguins, in the sub-Antarctic region. For example, since the 1940s, the eastern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes filholi) has shifted from being the most abundant penguin species in the New Zealand sub-Antarctic region to the least. Yet, we know very little about the factors leading to this rapid decline. This project aims to understand the current population status, genetics, and ecology of eastern rockhopper penguins across their range in New Zealand, with the goal of identifying factors that influence their decline. This will be accomplished through genetic analyses, GPS tracking, and diet studies, as well as disease screening of eastern rockhopper penguins on Campbell, Antipodes, and Auckland Island in the New Zealand sub-Antarctic. Ultimately, this work aims to utilize this data to directly inform conservation and management plans for this species through a collaboration with the New Zealand Department of Conservation. Without a comprehensive, range-wide assessment and an effective management response, we risk losing the eastern rockhopper penguins in the South Pacific.

Investigators: Jeffrey White (Department of Public and Ecosystem Health), Amandine Gamble (Department of Public and Ecosystem Health)

Partners: Thomas Mattern (The Tawaki Trust), Gemma Clucas (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Protecting the Predators: Biomarker Detection of Anticoagulant Toxicosis in Predatory Birds

Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are poisons commonly used to control rodent pests worldwide. These chemicals work by disrupting the blood’s ability to clot, leading to severe internal bleeding and death. Unfortunately, when birds of prey eat rodents that have ingested ARs, they can also succumb to the effects of these poisons in what is termed secondary poisoning. Currently, detecting AR exposure in wildlife involves analyzing liver tissue after death, as detection methods in live wild animals are unreliable. Furthermore, the AR concentrations measured in postmortem liver samples that cause bleeding in predatory birds are unknown. This limits the ability to provide effective treatment to individual birds and predict population risks. To address these problems, this project aims to develop a test that detects the clinical effects of AR exposure in live birds of prey using a simple blood sample. In the long term, this test could be used patient-side to check for AR poisoning in any predatory bird species and for any type of AR compound. Ultimately, these results will improve the diagnosis and treatment of affected raptors and inform policy decisions regarding the use of ARs.

Investigators: Jennifer Bloodgood (Department of Public and Ecosystem Health), Marjory Brooks (Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences), Cynthia Hopf-Dennis (Department of Clinical Sciences)

Partners: Robert Goggs (Department of Clinical Sciences), Yao Zhu (Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences)

Improving Wildlife Histopathology Capacity in Nepal

To conserve threatened and endangered species, it is essential to understand the causes of their decline, including infectious diseases or toxicological insults that can threaten entire populations and push them towards extinction. Veterinary pathologists help determine causes of wildlife mortality by analyzing tissues for abnormalities, providing insights that can guide policy changes to protect wildlife populations. In Nepal, postmortem diagnoses are often limited by the inability to examine tissue samples microscopically. This project utilizes advanced technology (an Ocus slide scanner) to create digital copies of microscope slides, enabling experts at the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health to remotely support local pathologists in determining causes of death during unexplained wildlife mortality events. These cases will also serve as training materials for Nepali graduate students, who will receive mentorship from the CYCWH free-ranging wildlife pathologist to investigate critical health questions and develop diagnostic skills. By building local expertise and improving disease diagnosis, this collaboration aims to develop a long-term solution for removing barriers to wildlife mortality investigations in Nepal and create a model that can be replicated in other regions lacking diagnostic capacity.

Investigators: Carmen Smith (Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences), Martin Gilbert (Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences)

Trainees: Bikash Puri (Agriculture and Forestry University), Dibya Paudel (Tribhuvan University/National Trust for Nature Conservation)

Partners: Food and Agriculture Organization Nepal (FAO), Central Veterinary Laboratory of Nepal (CVL), Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU), Tribhuvan University, Davis-Thompson Foundation