Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative

06/10/2026

Student Article: Power Line Electrocution of Raptors

Power line electrocution is a significant cause of avian mortality, with an estimated 0.9 to 11.6 million birds being fatally electrocuted each year in the United States. A variety of risk factors, including body size, habitat, young age, weather and power line configuration can all predispose birds to electrocution.

Read the full blog here:

The Western/Northern Regional Centre of the CWHC is part of the Department of Veterinary Pathology at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon and, in addition to our wildlife diagnostic responsibilities, we are also involved in teaching fish and wildlife health topics to undergraduat...

06/03/2026

Partnership in Practice: A Multi-Disciplinary Response to HPAI

Many wildlife health issues, including avian influenza, also impact humans and other animals. Traditional research approaches are often ineffective at tackling these challenges. Using a One Health approach that considers human, animal and environmental health can help us more effectively address these problems.

Read the full blog here:

Many wildlife health issues, including avian influenza, also impact humans and other animals. Traditional research approaches are often ineffective at tackling these challenges. Using a One Health approach that considers human, animal and environmental health can help us more effectively address the...

06/01/2026

Supporting Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep Health Through Collaboration and Citizen Science

This spring, a collaborative necropsy workshop brought together partners from across Alberta to strengthen field-based monitoring of bighorn sheep populations. The event, organized by the Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta (WSFAB) in collaboration with the Environment ad Protected Areas, the University of Alberta and the CWHC focused on building practical skills for population monitoring and investigating mortality events in this iconic species.

Read the full blog here:

This spring, a collaborative necropsy workshop brought together partners from across Alberta to strengthen field-based monitoring of bighorn sheep populations. The event, organized by the Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta (WSFAB) in collaboration with the Environment ad Protected Areas, the University o...

05/15/2026

Demonstration of Neospora caninum in stranded marine mammals within the eastern Pacific

Since the original detection of the protozoa Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis neurona in stranded marine mammals with varying degrees of meningoencephalitis, there have been increasing efforts to screen case material for another terrestrial protozoa, Neospora caninum.

Read the full blog here:

Since the original detection of the protozoa Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis neurona in stranded marine mammals with varying degrees of meningoencephalitis, there have been increasing efforts to screen case material for another terrestrial protozoa, Neospora caninum. Serology has detected antibodi...

05/06/2026

Vertebral deformities in St. Lawrence belugas: The examination of two carcasses paves the way for further investigations

Two female belugas with marked spinal deformities recently washed ashore on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Although this type of deformation had previously been observed in living animals, no individual had yet been examined up close. These strandings thus enabled the CWHC-Quebec team to investigate the origin of these deformities and assess their potential impact on the health of these two individuals.

Read the full blog here:

Two female belugas with marked spinal deformities recently washed ashore on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Although this type of deformation had previously been observed in living animals, no individual had yet been examined up close. These strandings thus enabled the CWHC-Quebec team to inves...

04/15/2026

New blog: Coexisting with bats: understanding pet predation, rabies risk, exclusion from homes and more

Now that spring is upon us, bats have started to emerge from hibernation or migrate back north, and some people are bound to encounter them. Many people are afraid of bats, some due to their link to superstitions and intrinsic elusive nature, others due to their association with diseases, or maybe due to other misunderstandings.

Read the full blog here:

Now that spring is upon us, bats have started to emerge from hibernation or migrate back north, and some people are bound to encounter them. Many people are afraid of bats, some due to their link to superstitions and intrinsic elusive nature, others due to their association with diseases, or maybe d...

04/01/2026

Community Voices and British Columbia Wildlife Highlighted at the 2025 International Wildlife Disease Association Conference in Victoria, BC

Canadian wildlife and collaborative efforts in wildlife research were showcased at the 73rd annual international Wildlife Disease Association (WDA) conference. The conference was held in Victoria, British Columbia (BC) from July 27 to August 1, 2025, hosted by BC’s retired wildlife veterinarian, Dr. Helen Schwantje aided by many local experts.

Read the full blog here:

Canadian wildlife and collaborative efforts in wildlife research were showcased at the 73rd annual international Wildlife Disease Association (WDA) conference. The conference was held in Victoria, British Columbia (BC) from July 27 to August 1, 2025, hosted by BC’s retired wildlife veterinarian, D...

03/31/2026

The end of an era? Discontinuation of the Canadian National Bat Health Program

The Canadian National Bat Health Program, coordinated by the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC), received its funding since its inception over a decade ago through several contribution agreements with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The CWHC appreciates our ongoing partnership with ECCC and is grateful for their long-term financial support of the National Bat Health Program.

Read the full blog here:

The Canadian National Bat Health Program, coordinated by the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC), received its funding since its inception over a decade ago through several contribution agreements with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The CWHC appreciates our ongoing partnership...

03/24/2026

CWHC Atlantic conducted a study on northern myotis in PEI forested landscapes, funded by the PEI Forested Landscape Priority Places for Species at Risk. This same funding aided in the production of a series of short films exploring four unique forest ecosystems that are home to many of PEI's rarest, threatened, or endangered species of flora and fauna. Darrian and Jordi were featured in the episode on upland forests, talking about the endangered bats that rely on PEI forests.

You can watch the episode here:

For more information about bat health in Canada, visit the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative website here: https://www.cwhc-rcsf.ca/bat_health.phpTo learn...

03/23/2026

Winter Kill - Winter Fish Mortality at Lacs des Fauvel

A large number of carcasses of northern pike and sunfish were observed in mid-March under the ice of the Lacs des Fauvel located in Blainville, in the Laurentides region north of Montreal, Quebec. Observers also reported the presence of “catfish” still very much alive at the site, as well as a strong methane smell when the ice was broken.

Read the full blog here: https://healthywildlife.ca/winter-kill-winter-fish-mortality-at-fauvel-lakes/