Two female researchers doing bobcat research in the field
Wildlife Health
The Wildlife Health Section is a group of veterinarians, researchers and technicians dedicated to diagnosing, monitoring and conducting research on diseases of free-ranging wildlife in Colorado. Our mission is to promote the health and welfare of Colorado’s wildlife; conduct applied research to facilitate management of free-ranging wildlife; to provide wildlife health, diagnostic, and capture support services to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
What We Do
Working in concert with agency biologists and managers, we focus our work on issues that affect the long-term health and viability of wildlife populations. Additionally, we develop tools and methodologies to facilitate improved research and safe and humane wildlife capture, handling, and monitoring.
The Wildlife Health Program conducts research on free-ranging and captive wildlife in field-based settings. Current research areas of interest include plague in prairie dogs, white-nose syndrome in bats, respiratory disease in bighorn sheep, and chronic wasting disease in deer, elk, and moose. General goals of our research are to understand the impacts of disease on wildlife populations and to develop tools and techniques to manage and monitor diseases in wildlife and to support wildlife management.
Wildlife Health staff conduct necropsies on wildlife from across the state to monitor health concerns. The Wildlife Health Lab processes samples collected from free-ranging animals to determine presence of disease, including statewide Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance in deer, elk, and moose.
Wildlife Health staff maintain a captive wildlife research facility where several native Colorado species are housed for research and teaching purposes. The work conducted with the animals housed at this facility benefits free-ranging populations across the state and beyond.
Video: "Prairie Dog Burrow Timelapse" - CPW
SPOTLIGHT
Featured Project
This is the story of how our Avian Research and Wildlife Health Programs teamed up with partners to study and test a new plague vaccine and improve habitat for endangered black-footed ferrets and other wildlife. Avian Researchers have documented the benefits of maintaining active prairie dog colonies for many species such as ferruginous hawks, golden eagles, various grassland songbirds, coyotes, and badgers.
Meet the Team
Peach Van Wick
- State Wildlife Veterinarian/Wildlife Health Program Leader
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Karen Griffin
- Molecular Diagnostics Technologist
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Maicie Lingwall
- Wildlife Health Facilities Manager
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Vacant
- Field Wildlife Veterinarian
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Kaytlin Bohr
- Field Capture Technician
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Daniel Tripp
- Wildlife Disease Researcher
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Alexandria Argue
- Wildlife Pathologist
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Jack Grider
- Wildlife Disease Researcher
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Emily Onderbeke
- Necropsy Technician
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Wildlife Health Research
Research Library
The Research Library was created in the late 1960s to provide support primarily to the wildlife research sections. The Research Library evolved to serve the broader information management needs of CPW staff. Library collections are focused on wildlife ecology and associated ecological information and CPW public historical records such as Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting agendas and minutes.
Contact for Wildlife Health Concerns
- Report any wildlife health concerns directly to area/regional offices.
- If you're not sure your nearest CPW Office, find phone numbers on the Contact Us page, https://cpw.state.co.us/contact-us