Human & Animal Health

Our California Carnivore Project (formerly California Mountain Lion Project) team has some sad news to share: F312, a female GPS collared mountain lion that was nicknamed "Uno" by southern California photographers, died last night after being struck by a vehicle. Valiant efforts to save her life were undertaken by local veterinarian Dr.

Wildlife Health Center Research Associate Dr. Frances Gulland was designated as the Chair of the Marine Mammal Commission (MMC) on May 4, 2022. She replaces Dr. Daryl Boness, who will remain as one of the three Commissioners with Dr. Michael Tillman. Dr. Gulland joined the Committee of Scientific Advisors of the MMC in 2000, and was appointed and Senate-confirmed to serve as one of three Commissioners in 2011. The MMC works to ensure that marine mammal populations are restored and maintained as functioning elements of healthy marine ecosystems in the world's oceans.

Hundreds of fish species live in the Salish Sea, and many face a number of threats. Monitoring the health of these fish populations is crucial. But with nearly 5,000 miles of coastline and more than 400 islands, it’s no small task.

Historically, monitoring fish populations has included fishery catch data, active trawl surveys, underwater video, satellite imagery, hydroacoustics and more. But citizen scientists are increasingly playing crucial roles, according to a study from the University of California, Davis.

Latin America Program Director Dr. Marcy Uhart has co-authored a recent publication on southern right whales:

• Christiansen, F., Uhart, M.M., Bejder, L., Clapham, P., Ivashchenko, Y., Tormosov, D., Lewin, N. & Sironi, M. 2022. Foetal growth, birth size and energetic cost of gestation in southern right whales. Journal of Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP282351

Mange has decimated the population of wild vicuñas and guanacos in an Argentinian national park that was created to conserve them, according to a study from the Administration of National Parks in Argentina and the University of California, Davis.

The findings, published today in the journal PLOS ONE, suggest domestic llamas introduced to the site may have been the source of the outbreak. Cascading consequences for local predator and scavenger species are expected.

The journeys of a group of southern right whales to their feeding grounds are being tracked by satellite telemetry and their routes can be seen at www.siguiendoballenas.org. The technology applied in the "Tracking Whales" project allows us to identify key environments in the South Atlantic to protect southern right whales throughout their life cycle.

Our Orcas-Island based program SeaDoc Society is hiring a regional director. The deadline to apply is January 29, 2020.

For more information on the position: 

SeaDoc Society website

A 2018 survey shows that mountain gorilla numbers have increased in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda and Sarambwe Reserve, DR Congo, according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The 2018 Bwindi-Sarambwe mountain gorilla survey found a minimum of 459 mountain gorillas in these regions, an increase from the previous survey estimate in 2011 of 400. When combined with the 2015-2016 population survey results of 604 mountain gorillas in the Virunga Massif, the total world population of endangered mountain gorillas now stands at 1,063.

Scientists report the first cases of foot disease for endangered huemul deer in Chilean Patagonia in a study led by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the University of California, Davis’ One Health Institute, with partnering institutions in Chile and the United States.