Wildlife

Wildlife Disease Surveillance and Welfare

Monitoring and responding to wildlife disease is essential for individual animal welfare and population health across UK species.

Key Facts

Bovine tuberculosis, rabbit haemorrhagic disease, and avian influenza are key UK wildlife disease concerns
Disease surveillance networks involve volunteers, vets, and government agencies
Sick or dead wildlife submitted for post-mortem examination provides critical epidemiological data
Climate change is enabling new diseases to establish in UK wildlife populations
Vaccination programmes for wildlife diseases like bovine TB are being scaled up

Welfare Considerations

Wildlife disease causes significant individual animal suffering and population-level harm. Effective surveillance, rapid response, and research into vaccines and treatments are essential welfare and conservation priorities.

What You Can Do

Report unusual wildlife mortality to the Garden Wildlife Health project or appropriate authority
Submit dead wildlife for post-mortem examination through official reporting routes
Support organisations funding wildlife disease research and surveillance
Engage with vaccination programmes for wildlife diseases like bovine TB
Learn about the diseases affecting UK wildlife and their welfare implications