Wildlife Disease Surveillance and Welfare

Wildlife disease surveillance programs identify and respond to disease threats that cause mass welfare emergencies in wild animal populations.

Key Facts

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease has caused dramatic welfare emergencies in wild rabbit populations across Europe
White-nose syndrome has killed millions of North American bats since 2006
Highly pathogenic avian influenza causes periodic mass mortality events in wild bird populations
Chronic wasting disease in deer is expanding its range across North America
Disease surveillance using carcass reporting and sentinel populations provides early warning capacity

Welfare Considerations

Wildlife disease surveillance serves both conservation and welfare functions - identifying emerging pathogens before they cause mass mortality allows interventions that reduce suffering at population scale. Wildlife diseases causing mass death events create extreme welfare emergencies where individual animals experience acute illness and painful death in large numbers. Early detection through surveillance enables responses including habitat management, vaccination programs, and environmental modifications that can reduce the scale of welfare harm. The welfare case for investing in wildlife disease surveillance infrastructure is strong given the potential to prevent mass suffering events.

What You Can Do

Report sick or dead wildlife to relevant authorities to contribute to disease surveillance
Support wildlife health organizations that conduct disease monitoring programs
Avoid feeding wildlife in ways that aggregate animals and increase disease transmission
Learn to recognize signs of common wildlife diseases in your region
Support research into wildlife vaccines and disease management interventions