Recent DVM graduate, Amanda Bielecki, has been investigating the prevalence and distribution of lead exposure in New York’s fisher (Pekania pennanti) population. This project is part of a broader interagency effort with SUNY ESF and the DEC to assess lead risks in wildlife across the state. Our approach involves analyzing previously collected liver lead concentrations to identify spatial trends.
Potential sources of exposure, including proximity to federal Superfund sites, scrap metal yards, active landfills, and seasonal variations related to regular deer hunting seasons, are being considered. Furthermore, we are also evaluating the reproductive impacts of lead toxicity by quantifying corpus luteum counts in the ovaries of female fishers. These counts serve as a proxy for reproductive potential to assess whether lead exposure may negatively influence reproductive health in this mesocarnivore species. Preliminary results indicate that lead showed no significant direct effect on corpora lutea counts; however, hotspots for lead exposure corresponded with lower reproductive indicators.
