DISEASE AND PARASITOLOGY
The black bear health and comparative medicine program is a broad-based program with a one-health approach to the study of health and disease in the American black bear as a model species. Black bears are broad-ranging omnivores, and so may be a sentinel of health in their environment, and also directly impact health and well-being of nearby human populations through human-wildlife conflict and zoonotic disease, especially in areas where bears are harvested for food. The black bear has also emerged as an important species in comparative medicine, to help us understand conditions such as coronary heart disease, type II diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and Tay-Sachs disease. Through our research, CWS aims to advance understanding of the health of black bears in the northeast while enhancing animal welfare and individual animal outcomes during in-situ conservation and management work.
IMPACT OF TICKS ON BLACK BEAR
Although the state of Maine monitors winter tick prevalence for Moose, the black bear is considered an incidental host. Currently, there is no published documentation of the impact of various tick species on American black bear in the state of Maine. This study will look to document tick presence on collared bear and collect tissue samples from harvested bear to assess health of individuals in relation to tick prevalence.