California Conservation

The Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center has been working toward health and conservation in California for nearly two decades. We take the One Health approach to our work, which holds that healthy ecosystems are essential to healthy wildlife and people.

Some of our California Wildlife Conservation research is species-focused, including projects related to sea otters, giant garter snakes, riparian brush rabbits, bighorn sheep, mountain lions and Channel Island foxes. Other research focuses on health issues that can affect a variety of species and populations, like West Nile Virus, Avian Influenza and other zoonotic diseases.

In 2006, we partnered with the California Department of Fish and Game to develop the California Wildlife Action Plan. The plan addressed the following questions:

  • What are the species and habitats of greatest conservation need?
  • What are the major stressors or problems affecting California’s native wildlife and habitats?
  • What are the actions needed to restore and conserve California’s wildlife, thereby reducing the likelihood that more species will approach the condition of threatened or endangered? 

CURRENT PROJECTS:

mother mountain lion

California Mountain Lion Project

The California Mountain Lion Project has worked with mountain lions in Southern California since 2001, with particular focus on habitat use, prey animals, health and disease, and human interaction.

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white abalone

White Abalone Recovery Project

Through a captive-breeding program, the Bodega Marine Laboratory successfully spawned white abalone for the past three years. There may be more white abalone in captivity than there are in the wild.

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PAST PROJECTS:

california condor

California Condors

When the California condor population was reduced to 22 birds by 1982, our scientists and veterinarians began investigating the behavioral and environmental factors influencing ongoing lead exposure in condor populations.

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sea otter

Sea Otter Project

Our teams have studied various fecal pathogens that can affect marine mammals, but Toxoplasma gondii research in particular has been foundational for the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center. This tiny parasite threatened sea otter populations in California.

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