Wildlife Disease Surveillance and Welfare

Surveillance of wildlife disease provides early warning of outbreaks that threaten both wild population welfare and spillover into domestic animal and human populations.

Key Facts

White-nose syndrome has killed over 90% of some North American bat species since 2006
Chronic wasting disease affects deer and elk in North America with expanding geographic range
Emerging diseases in wildlife often reflect anthropogenic pressure including habitat loss and climate change
Sentinel wildlife programmes that monitor disease in wild species provide early warning for human health
Wildlife disease intervention requires rapid regulatory coordination across multiple authorities

Welfare Considerations

Wildlife disease causes individual suffering on a massive scale that often goes unwitnessed. Bats dying of white-nose syndrome suffocate as the fungal infection damages wing membranes; deer with chronic wasting disease experience prolonged neurological deterioration; birds with avian influenza suffer respiratory failure. Surveillance systems that detect disease early enable management responses that can slow spread, protect unaffected populations, and inform treatment where feasible. The connection between wildlife disease, domestic animal disease, and human zoonotic risk means that investment in wildlife surveillance serves human health as well as animal welfare.

What You Can Do

Report unusual animal deaths or sick wildlife to national disease surveillance programmes
Support funding for wildlife disease monitoring and research
Advocate for rapid regulatory response capacity for novel wildlife disease outbreaks
Donate to organisations working on wildlife disease prevention including white-nose syndrome treatment
Raise awareness about wildlife disease as an animal welfare issue that also threatens human health