March 24 is World Tuberculosis Day, a day set aside to raise awareness of one of the deadliest infectious diseases of people worldwide. Tuberculosis also is a major health threat to many animals, and is a growing problem in both African and Asian elephants, threatening their long-term health as individuals and as species.
In the United Kingdom, an ongoing and growing outbreak of tuberculosis in cows has public health officials worried. Cows can spread the disease to humans through dairy products, and in some cases, direct contact. Badgers are known carriers of Mycobacterium bovis (the bacteria that causes tuberculosis in cattle) and are suspected to be major players in spreading disease in the current outbreak.
Early and effective diagnosis of proventricular dilatation disease, also called macaw wasting disease, is crucial in preventing transmission of infections to other birds. Continued PDD research by the Texas A&M team includes ongoing improvement of diagnostic testing strategies and accuracy as well as working on preventive measures.
Spillover, a phenomenon where a virus or other pathogen moves from one species to another, is a popular news topic and a growing problem not only in people but also in wildlife. Canine distemper virus is a growing health challenge that is “spilling over” into different species of animals and placing many of them at risk.
With fewer than 45 individuals left worldwide, the Javan rhinoceros is thought to be the rarest large mammal on earth. Researchers funded by the Morris Animal Foundation are in a race against time to protect the health of the remaining animals and give them a chance at population recovery. What seems to be standing in their way is a deadly parasite spread by a common fly.
Morris Animal Foundation’s Healthy Animals Initiative annually supports more than 250 studies that not only help animals that enrich our daily lives – including our much-beloved dogs, cats and horses – but also animals such as the Ridgway’s hawk that are threatened or endangered. Your gift this holiday season helps make that work possible.
Dr. Darryn Knobel was troubled by the high incidence of canine rabies in certain impoverished areas in his country. The disease posed a significant risk to both humans and dogs, and the potential spread to other communities and wildlife was a concern.
Creeping up on African buffalo to monitor their health is no easy task; they are big, formidably armed, and don’t take kindly to strangers; but it can be a piece of cake compared to finding funding for wildlife health research.
By the early to mid-1980s, fewer than 300 mountain gorillas were known to still exist in the world. Zoologist and primatologist Dr. Dian Fossey, who studied mountain gorillas exclusively in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, wanted to change those numbers.
Known as the jackass penguin because of its donkey-like bray, the African penguin once flourished. Unfortunately, this penguin species—the only one to breed in Africa—has suffered severe population declines in recent years and is currently classified as endangered. Current numbers are estimated at only 10 percent of the more than 1.45 million adult penguins that existed at the start of the 20th century.
The Memphis Zoo has been offering citizens in western Tennessee and eastern Arkansas a glimpse at wildlife of the natural world since it opened in 1906. Located near Rhodes College and just 10 miles from Graceland, the Memphis Zoo offers 19 exhibits situated on 55 developed acres.
Owning a companion bird is no small task. One of the many pets that “owned” me was an adorable cockatiel named Frosty. She was 3 years old when I adopted her. Unfortunately, inbreeding for her unusual white and black coloring contributed to her many health problems. When I met her, she was housed in a cage designed for a much smaller bird, leaving her inadequate room to move around. She was obese, could not fly and could barely walk.
Animals provide unconditional companionship and loyalty, and are also a crucial component of the world’s ecosystem. Morris Animal Foundation, a world leader in helping animals by investing in the most relevant and impactful science to advance animal health and welfare for dogs, cats, horses, llamas and wildlife, thrives to partner with the groups that align with and help to spread its mission. Recently, the Foundation partnered with NatureStage Inc., a non-profit arts organization that explores relationships with species around the world through its One Language Project. Through this new partnership NatureStage has created images to help...
Being based in Denver, Morris Animal Foundation staff are very aware of our neighbors who burrow in the high plains of Colorado: prairie dogs. We’re also very concerned with and taking action to combat sylvatic plague, a highly transmittable infectious bacterial disease that is decimating prairie dog colonies throughout the West.
Imagine the stress of your entire neighborhood rapidly changing—the main roads moving or switching direction and your food source, the grocery store, closing or moving further away. For polar bears, their vast Arctic home ranges are literally melting away.
First published in 1880 with financial support from Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, Science magazine remains one of the world’s most recognized and respected scientific publications. Science publishes peer-reviewed groundbreaking scientific research and research reviews. A recent issues features work conducted by Morris Animal Foundation–researchers at the Zoological Society of London.
Leatherbacks, Kemp’s ridley, Hawksbill, Eastern Box, Green Sea and Blanding’s are just a few of the many species of turtles Morris Animal Foundation has helped since 2000.
It’s not easy being a wild bird. Oftentimes, they must contend with disease outbreaks and with maneuvering a landscape filled with must-be-avoided, manmade objects, such as windows, buildings, power lines and cars.
