The Flickr Wildlifehealth Image Generatr

A Southern California bush rabbit, photographed in San Diego's Los Peñasquitos Canyon Reserve, displays the beauty and challenges of life in the wild. The visible ticks in its ear are a reminder of the interconnectedness between wildlife and human health, as these parasites can carry diseases like Lyme disease and rabbit fever.

photo rights reserved by B℮n

Elk, also known as moose in English are impressive animals that play an important role in the nature and culture of Lapland, Finland. Elk are the largest members of the deer family. Male elk bear large flat antlers. They eat a wide range of vegetation,/b> including twigs, leaves, buds of trees and shrubs, as well as aquatic plants in the summer months. Moose are solitary and only come together during the mating season in the fall. They are known for their long migrations in search of food, especially in winter when they seek out lower areas where food is more available. They are good swimmers and can travel long distances in the water in search of food or to move between islands and mainland. Moose are well adapted to the harsh winters of Lapland. They have thick fur that protects them from the cold, and their long legs help them move through deep snow. Moose also serve as prey for large predators such as bears and wolves, making them an important part of the food chain in Lapland. Elk are managed in Finland through regulated hunting to keep their populations in balance with available natural resources and to reduce damage to agricultural crops and forest plantations.

Elk are an iconic symbol of Lapland's wild nature and play an important role in maintaining the ecological balance in this northern region. Their presence contributes to the natural beauty and biodiversity of Lapland.

Elanden, ook bekend als moose in het Engels zijn indrukwekkende dieren die een belangrijke rol spelen in de natuur en cultuur van Lapland, Finland. Elanden zijn de grootste leden van de hertenfamilie. Mannelijke elanden dragen grote platte geweien. Ze eten een breed scala aan vegetatie, waaronder twijgen, bladeren, knoppen van bomen en struiken, evenals waterplanten in de zomermaanden. Elanden zijn solitair en komen alleen samen tijdens het paarseizoen in de herfst. Ze staan bekend om hun lange trektochten op zoek naar voedsel, vooral in de winter wanneer ze lagere gebieden opzoeken waar meer voedsel beschikbaar is. Ze zijn goede zwemmers en kunnen lange afstanden in het water afleggen op zoek naar voedsel of om zich te verplaatsen tussen eilanden en vasteland. Elanden zijn goed aangepast aan de strenge winters van Lapland. Ze hebben een dikke vacht die hen beschermt tegen de kou, en hun lange poten helpen hen om zich door diepe sneeuw te bewegen. Elanden dienen ook als prooidieren voor grote roofdieren zoals beren en wolven, en zijn daardoor een belangrijk onderdeel van de voedselketen in Lapland. Elanden worden in Finland beheerd door middel van gereguleerde jacht om hun populaties in evenwicht te houden met de beschikbare natuurlijke hulpbronnen en om schade aan landbouwgewassen en bosaanplantingen te verminderen. Elanden zijn een iconisch symbool van de wilde natuur van Lapland en spelen een belangrijke rol in het behoud van de ecologische balans in deze noordelijke regio. Hun aanwezigheid draagt bij aan de natuurlijke schoonheid en biodiversiteit van Lapland.

Wildlife Veterinarian

PhD/DVM Wildlife Health and Conservation

Nope, it's not a Minecraft Creeper — there's plenty of those. We're talking about the Hawaiian Honeycreeper.

Many species of Hawaiian honeycreepers have persisted into the 20th century because high elevation rain forests on the islands of Kaua’i, Maui, and Hawai’i are cool enough to limit transmission of introduced avian malaria. Malaria transmission is tied closely to the effects of temperature on development of malarial parasites within their mosquito vectors and the effects of temperature and rainfall on seasonal and altitudinal changes in mosquito populations. As a result, this system may be very sensitive to recently documented increases in mean temperature in the Hawaiian Islands. USGS scientists have documented recent dramatic increases in avian malaria on the Alaka'i plateau on Kaua`i that could affect recovery of two endangered honeycreepers, the `Akikiki and `Akeke`e, and one endangered thrush, the Puaiohi. Credit: Carter Atkinson , USGS

Blood is collected for diagnostic testing from a pronghorn that is chemically immobilized. Serologic testing is an important tool for assessing the health and disease status of wildlife populations.

Credit: USFWS

Diane Borgreen from the Wildlife Health Office collects a Franklin's gull affected by avian botulism. Botulism toxin paralyzes the muscles and results in the death of thousands of birds every year.

Photo Credit: Lee Jones / USFWS

Bison tail hair sample collected at roundup for genetic analysis. Genetic testing is an important tool we use for USFWS bison metapopulation management. Our goal is to preserve genetic diversity while minimizing cattle gene introgression in our herds.

Credit: USFWS

Lee Jones and Diane Borgreen collect environmental data as part of a multi-year health monitoring study at the National Elk Refuge in Montana.

Credit: USFWS

Lee Jones of the Wildlife Health Office measures surface compaction at the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming. Investigation of environmental variables potentially influencing disease at the refuge is an important component of our health monitoring study.

Credit: USFWS