Wildlife Health Talks podcast

32:34

Self-described "systems thinker" Dr. Steve Unwin has spent decades working at the human-wildlife interface across four continents and believes we've got our scientific name all wrong. According to Steve, we're not Homo sapiens but Pan narrans: the storytelling ape. Host Dr. Cat Vendl explores Steve's journey from "pretending to be a zoo vet" to creating vital conservation networks and leading Wildlife Health Australia's International One Health Program. Discover how orangutans taught him patience while conducting "environmental enrichment" experiments on their keepers, why mental health is crucial for wildlife practitioners, and how better storytelling might be our best tool for preventing our own extinction. A refreshing perspective on using compassion and communication to transform wildlife health in an era of growing political isolationism. Links of the organizations mentioned in this episode that Steve is involved in: Wildlife Health Australia PASA OVAG We'd love to hear from you ... share your thoughts, feedback and ideas.…

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#58 Brett and rabies in Cape fur seals (South Africa & Australia) 27:37

18 days ago27:37

27:37

In this captivating episode, host Dr. Cat Vendl speaks with zoo veterinarian and researcher Dr. Brett Gardner about the unprecedented rabies outbreak in Cape fur seals along South Africa's coast. Brett reveals how this once-impossible disease jumped from black-backed jackals to marine mammals, creating a new wildlife health crisis. Discover the detective work behind tracing the virus's origin, the devastating impacts on both seal colonies and human communities, and the race to protect sub-Antarctic species through emergency vaccination programs. Brett also shares insights from his PhD research on Australian fur seals, highlighting how much remains unknown about disease ecology in Southern Hemisphere marine mammals—making this episode essential for anyone interested in emerging wildlife diseases and One Health approaches. Links One Health Research Group at the University of Melbourne Out of the Blue - teaser for the upcoming documentary on the rabies outbreak in cape fur seals in South Africa Article on the rabies outbreak investigations Brett's professional Instagram handle: #conservationvet_brett Footnote: Brett pointed out that they didn't test the seal the dog came into contact with. The dog being bitten by a seal was not actually witnessed, and the seal wasn't identified or sampled. The dog rabies was linked to seal rabies later via sequencing. We'd love to hear from you ... share your thoughts, feedback and ideas.…

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#57 Helen, bighorn sheep, mountain caribou and WDA2025 (Canada) 29:16

5 weeks ago29:16

29:16

Join host Dr. Cat Vendl with Dr. Helen Schwantje, British Columbia's pioneering wildlife veterinarian of nearly three decades. Journey from her unexpected career beginnings to her groundbreaking work with bighorn sheep and the complex fight to save mountain caribou through a variety of conservation strategies. Helen shares insights about Indigenous partnerships and previews the upcoming WDA conference in Victoria, where scientific presentations will blend with diverse perspectives in a spectacular coastal setting – where you might just spot an orca! Discover how building communities and fostering collaboration has shaped a remarkable career dedicated to protecting Canada's iconic wildlife. Links Wild sheep foundation Caribou Conservation Alliance International WDA2025 conference in Victoria, BC, Canada We'd love to hear from you ... share your thoughts, feedback and ideas.…

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#56 Janelle and the kiwi (NZ) 27:04

7 weeks ago27:04

27:04

Join host Dr. Cat Vendl as she travels to New Zealand's Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, where Dr. Janelle Ward leads native species restoration behind the country's largest predator-proof fence. Discover how four kiwis introduced in 2005 grew into hundreds, leading to the largest kiwi translocation in history. Janelle reveals the challenges of managing this booming population, from specialized conservation dogs tracking elusive birds to navigating new health conditions as the sanctuary reaches carrying capacity. Learn how deep partnerships with local Māori iwi enrich conservation through co-governance and cultural practices, creating a sanctuary where biodiversity thrives and a thousand-year vision for restoration unfolds—one bird at a time. Links https://www.sanctuarymountain.co.nz/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/janelle-ward=b692a01b We'd love to hear from you ... share your thoughts, feedback and ideas.…

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#55 Sonia and the science of pushing boundaries (USA) 29:12

9 weeks ago29:12

29:12

Join host Dr. Cat Vendl as she speaks with Dr. Sonia Hernandez, Wildlife Disease Association president and professor whose research spans continents and species. From studying prehistoric-looking tapirs adapting to human landscapes in Costa Rica to tracking white ibises navigating between Florida's wetlands and city parks, Sonia shares insights from her remarkable career. Discover how her journey from intimidated veterinary student to association leader has shaped her vision for science communication in an era of growing skepticism. Along the way, Sonia offers valuable wisdom for wildlife health professionals about staying adaptable and finding unexpected paths to meaningful work—crossing borders both geographical and disciplinary to address today's complex wildlife health challenges Links https://hernandezlabuga.wixsite.com/wilddisease/dr--sonia-hernandez https://hernandezlabuga.wixsite.com/wilddisease https://warnell.uga.edu/directory/people/dr-sonia-m-hernandez-dvm-daczm-phd We'd love to hear from you ... share your thoughts, feedback and ideas.…

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#54 Will and the raccoons (USA) 17:44

11 weeks ago17:44

17:44

Join our host Dr. Cat Vendl as she takes you to Oklahoma, where Will Funk directs wildlife rehabilitation at WildCare Oklahoma, caring for over 8,000 native patients annually – from hummingbirds to bald eagles, and even tarantulas! Will shares his fascinating journey from studying red kites in London to investigating mysterious neurological outbreaks in raccoons that challenge conventional wisdom about parvovirus. Discover his research on raccoon roundworm, a zoonotic parasite with serious public health implications for both wildlife and humans. Will makes a compelling case for wildlife rehabilitation centers as vital surveillance stations bridging conservation, disease monitoring, and public health. From heartbreaking losses to triumphant recoveries – including a remarkable bald eagle that survived highly pathogenic avian influenza against all odds – this episode offers a unique window into the evolving world of wildlife health at the intersection of rehabilitation, research, and One Health. Wanna learn more about Will’s work? Follow these links! https://www.wildcareoklahoma.org/ "Funk's Wildlife Disease Lab" on Facebook and @ok_wildlife_disease on Instagram We'd love to hear from you ... share your thoughts, feedback and ideas.…

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#53 Tim and conservation chemistry (USA) 32:05

13 weeks ago32:05

32:05

In this episode, our host Cat Vendl sits down with Dr. Tim Cernak, who is revolutionizing wildlife conservation through an unexpected lens: Conservation chemistry. From developing human medicines at Merck to fighting wildlife extinction with artificial intelligence, Tim shares how he's creating a "One Health Pharmacy" – where cutting-edge drug development meets conservation. Discover how the same tools used to combat COVID-19 are now being deployed to save endangered species, from frogs battling deadly chytrid fungus to hemlock trees threatened by invasive insects. Through fascinating examples and accessible analogies, Tim demonstrates how modern chemistry, AI, and robotics could help prevent the next mass extinction – one molecule at a time. Links https://cernaklab.com/ https://lsa.umich.edu/chem/people/faculty/tcernak.html We'd love to hear from you ... share your thoughts, feedback and ideas.…

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#52 K9 and queer ecology (Australia) 28:19

14 weeks ago28:19

28:19

Join us for an eye-opening conversation with K9 Jenns, a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney's Bat One Health Research Team, who brings a transformative perspective to the study of flying foxes and their viruses. Through the lens of queer ecology, K9 reveals how their personal journey has enriched their understanding of the complex relationships between bats and viruses, challenging traditional binary thinking in both science and society. Discover how their team's collection of over 60,000 biological samples is unveiling new insights into virus ecology, including the discovery of 24 previously unknown Hendra Virus relatives. Learn why these findings matter for both bat conservation and public health, and how embracing complexity – whether in virus-host relationships or gender identity – leads to richer scientific insights and a more inclusive understanding of the natural world. Link Bat One Health research group We'd love to hear from you ... share your thoughts, feedback and ideas.…

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#51 Anna and the microbats (Australia) 25:32

17 weeks ago25:32

25:32

In this episode, our host Cat Vendl takes you to Berlin to meet Anna Langguth, a PhD candidate studying one of the most devastating wildlife diseases recorded in mammals: white nose syndrome. From childhood bat enthusiast to innovative researcher, Anna shares her fascinating work on understanding how Australian microbats might respond to this deadly fungal disease before it reaches their shores. Learn about her groundbreaking approach to studying bat immune responses by growing bat wing cells in petri dishes, her insights into the complex relationship between bat hibernation and immune function, and why prevention might be our best strategy against this disease that has already claimed over 6 million microbats in North America. This forward-looking research showcases a rare example of scientists working to understand disease susceptibility before an outbreak occurs, potentially helping to protect Australia's unique bat species. Links Twitter: https://x.com/anna_langguth Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alangguth.bsky.social Instagram: a_langguth We'd love to hear from you ... share your thoughts, feedback and ideas.…

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#50 Dianna and the wombats (Australia) 34:23

19 weeks ago34:23

34:23

Join us for an extraordinary conversation with Dianna Bisset, an Australian wildlife carer whose journey spans from creating equipment for James Cameron's deep-sea expeditions to rehabilitating wombats and kangaroos at Rocklily wildlife refuge. Diana shares her firsthand experience of the devastating 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires and their profound impact on wildlife, challenging long-held beliefs about the Australian bush's resilience. Through moving stories, including the remarkable recovery of a Wallaroo with a broken spine, Diana reveals both the heartbreak and hope in wildlife rehabilitation. She offers unique insights into innovative wildlife protection solutions and the evolving role of wildlife carers in the face of increasing environmental challenges. Links Visit Dianna's website and learn more about her wildlife rehab work @rocklilywombats on Instagram We'd love to hear from you ... share your thoughts, feedback and ideas.…

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#49 Michele and wildlife tuberculosis (South Africa) 22:48

23 weeks ago22:48

22:48

In this episode, we are taking you on a dive into the world of wildlife tuberculosis with Professor Michele Miller. Michele is the NRF South African Research Chair in Animal TB at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Her career has spanned from clinical work in major U.S. zoos to groundbreaking research in South Africa's Kruger National Park. Her multidisciplinary approach has combined veterinary medicine, immunology, and public health. We'll be discussing Michele's current research, including her work on TB diagnostics and management in various wildlife species. Michele will share her perspectives on the One Health intersections between wildlife, domestic animal, and human health. And Michele has just been elected as one of the new members at large on the WDA Council! We'd love to hear from you ... share your thoughts, feedback and ideas.…

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#48 Laura and the muskoxen (Canada) 20:13

28 weeks ago20:13

20:13

In the 1960s, the Canadian government decided to relocate 14 muskoxen to the Eastern Arctic, a region where these large bovines had never been native. The intention was to support the local Inuit community by providing a new source of food and other resources. However, it appears the government did not consult the community about its needs or preferences. Farming the muskoxen was suggested, but the practice wasn’t culturally relevant. With little interest shown, the government released the muskoxen into the wild—again, without consulting the community. Since then, the muskoxen have thrived, with their population growing substantially. But Inuit people and researchers suspect they may be competing with native caribou, a species central to the Indigenous diet and culture for thousands of years and whose numbers have been declining. In this episode, host Cat Vendl speaks with Dr. Laura van Driessche, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Montreal, who studies the health of both muskoxen and caribou. With a background in domestic bovine health, Laura brings her passion for wildlife into her research as she and her colleagues investigate the causes behind the caribou population decline. We'd love to hear from you ... share your thoughts, feedback and ideas.…

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#47 Rita and the cottontail rabbits (Portugal & Angola) 23:21

30 weeks ago23:21

23:21

In this episode, you will meet Dr. Rita Santos, a veterinarian whose passion for wildlife has taken her across continents. From rehabilitating cottontail rabbits and hummingbirds in Minnesota to treating wildlife in the UK, Rita shares insights from her diverse experience in wildlife medicine. We discuss the fascinating differences between European and American rabbits, explore the challenges of wildlife rehabilitation across different countries, and learn about her research on blood parasites in Portuguese owls. The conversation culminates with Rita's current ambitious PhD project - studying the health of gorilla and chimpanzee populations in Angola's Mayombe forest, where she aims to bridge the gap between wildlife conservation and human health in one of Africa's most understudied regions. This episode offers a unique glimpse into the varied world of wildlife health and the exciting challenges that lie ahead in great ape conservation. Links Rita's LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/ritabarriosantos Rita's Researchgate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rita-Santos-38 Rita's academic profile: https://www.cibio.up.pt/en/people/details/rita-santos/ We'd love to hear from you ... share your thoughts, feedback and ideas.…

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#46 Anastasiia and the brown bears (Japan & Ukraine) 20:47

32 weeks ago20:47

20:47

Our host Cat Vendl chats with Anastasiia Kovba about all things viral diseases of wildlife in Japan, to be more precise on the island of Hokkaido. Anastasiia is a PhD student, based at the University of Hokkaido in Sapporo. Anastasiia grew up in the Ukraine and did her vet degree there. For her Master’s, she moved to Japan to study HIV. But since her passion has always been wildlife, she is now investigating viral diseases in wildlife. Links The link to Anastasiia’s most recent paper Anastasiia’s LinkedIn profile Anastasiia’s Research Gate profile We'd love to hear from you ... share your thoughts, feedback and ideas.…

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#45 The making of WDA2024 off-country (online) conference 27:23

34 weeks ago27:23