Wildlife Health

Enhance the health and well-being of captive and wild populations through innovative diagnostics and research.

• Develop novel diagnostic approaches and disease risk assessment to address population health problems

CRES continues to spearhead new approaches to diagnose diseases and assess health risks in both captive and wild animals, with an emphasis on hooved mammals, amphibians, and a variety of bird species. Our team is committed to identifying and confronting disease problems affecting population sustainability, as well as ensuring that reintroduction candidates are healthy and fit for release into the wild.

• Identify and characterize new pathogenic agents and develop appropriate prevention and control methods and strategies

CRES scientists work with Zoological Society of San Diego health professionals not only to understand how diseases spread, but also to prevent and control them. Such knowledge is critical in responding to emerging disease crises and guiding management decisions. Two areas in which we have assumed a leadership role are avian flu preparedness planning and screening techniques for chytrid fungus, the primary cause of the dramatic decline of amphibian populations around the world.

• Investigate factors associated with susceptibility and resistance to disease using comparative genomics

Genetic studies are crucial to understanding the heritability of disease susceptibility. CRES researchers use cutting-edge molecular technologies to identify genetic risk factors that threaten small populations, including California condors, Hawaiian crows, Przewalski’s horses, elephants, and gorillas. Results of our work allow for effective management of genetically-mediated diseases, both in captivity and in the wild.

• Develop better approaches for disease surveillance in captive populations and animals destined for reintroduction

Pre-release health screening is essential in order to identify appropriate candidates for reintroduction, avoid placing wild populations at risk, and assure the long-term survival of reintroduced individuals. Through the discovery and application of rigorous protocols for disease surveillance, CRES is filling a critical need in the recovery of many endangered species, including California condors, Hawaiian forest birds, Rimatara lorikeets, and Caribbean rock iguanas.

• Advance our understanding of disease ecology, especially the interface among humans, domestic animals, and wildlife

As habitats shrink and become increasingly fragmented, human and animal populations are coming into contact on an unprecedented scale. As a result, we are faced with a host of emerging and previously uncharacterized diseases. We seek to better understand disease interactions among human, domestic animal, and wildlife populations in order to protect our living collections and mitigate pathogens that put wild populations at risk.