New York State Wildlife Health Program

The New York State Wildlife Health Program (WHP) is a partnership between the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab (CWHL) at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. The WHP laboratories in Albany and Ithaca safeguard the health of free-ranging wildlife populations across New York State and beyond through a comprehensive “One Health” approach, which recognizes the interconnected nature of wildlife, domestic animals, humans, and their shared environment. The WHP program aligns our long-term vision and day-to-day activities with these priorities.

Our nine priorities supporting One Health: 
•    Program Management 
•    Policy Development 
•    Preparedness and Response 
•    Training and Development 
•    Surveillance and Monitoring 
•    Communication 
•    Information Management 
•    Research
•    Veterinary Health Services 

Along with these One Health priorities, the WHP plays a crucial role in responding to a wide array of health threats to wildlife. These include viral, bacterial, fungal, and prion diseases, along with contaminants and trauma.  The WHP and DEC field staff conduct on-site investigations, collect samples, and coordinate with the diagnostic resources at the CWHL to determine the causes of illness or death. Our findings guide response strategies, collaboration with other agencies, public outreach, and additional scientific investigation. Ideally, events in our home state of New York lead to useful products for entities worldwide.  

Public involvement is integral to WHP activities and vital to our overall success. Concerned citizens are encouraged to report sick or dead wildlife to the WHP. Public sightings of sick or dead animals frequently play a vital role in the early detection of disease in NYS. The WHP focuses on outreach to the public on emerging discoveries in wildlife health in their own backyards. Our goals are to emphasize the importance of healthy wildlife populations, communicate the risks of disease transmission, and help us all prevent the spread of illness between wild animals, domestic animals, and humans.

The WHP is an innovator in proactive, science-based wildlife management. Our emphasis is on early disease detection, providing scientific guidance to decision-makers, and ensuring New York is ready to address ongoing and emerging threats to our wildlife. We invest in education, build scientific capacity, develop cutting-edge tools, and empower people to engage in and support wildlife health activities. The WHP safeguards animal health and contributes to preserving the state’s ecological integrity, biodiversity, and public health. As environmental conditions change and conservation challenges grow, this strategic and collaborative approach positions New York as a leader in the future of wildlife health and conservation.