Canadian wildlife and collaborative efforts in wildlife research were showcased at the 73rd annual international Wildlife Disease Association (WDA) conference. The conference was held in Victoria, British Columbia (BC) from July 27 to August 1, 2025, hosted by BC’s retired wildlife veterinarian, Dr. Helen Schwantje aided by many local experts.
Pre-conference activities kicked off with the student wildlife workshop hosted by the Canada-USA student chapter. The workshop “Living Landscapes Student Workshop: Bridging Wildlife Health, Human Impact and Community Voices”, brought together veterinary and graduate students, and early-career wildlife professionals of diverse backgrounds.
Highlights of the student workshop included a behind-the-scenes tour of the Vancouver Aquarium and the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre, an ethnobotany walk with a First Nations elder through the forests of PKOLS (Mount Douglas Park), a hands-on chemical immobilization demonstration with BC wildlife veterinarian Dr. Caeley Thacker, and science communication sessions.
Concurrent pre-conference workshops included the wildlife pathology workshop co-hosted by WDA and the Davis-Thompson Foundation. The full day workshop began with a keynote address on applications of genomics to augment wildlife diagnostic investigations. This was followed by several short case presentations on classic and emerging diseases in a variety of species. Cases included systemic highly pathogenic avian influenza virus infection in a skunk, corvid orthoreovirus necrohemorrhagic enteritis in an American crow, and newly described staggering disease caused by rustrela virus in a mountain lion.
The conference featured several days of presentations centred on key themes of “Community, Collaboration, and Communication” and One Health. While there were many traditional oral and poster sessions, key program additions compared to previous conferences included the dialogue sessions and Science Café. The dialogue sessions and Science Café provided interactive, lively discussions among session participants on topics including “Best Practices in Community Collaboration”, “Ready for Careers”, and “Pathways for the Future”.
Representing the CWHC-BC node at the conference were two new veterinary pathologists to the BC provincial diagnostic lab, Drs. Lisa Lee and Carmon Co. Both pathologists provide wildlife necropsy services and diagnostic investigations for a variety of animal species submitted to the Animal Health Centre laboratory in Abbotsford, BC. For the conference, Dr. Lee co-organized the wildlife photo contest with proceeds going to the WDA student activities committee, which provides student travel grants and other scholarships. Dr. Lee also presented novel research conducted through CWHC-BC, including pathogen surveillance in free-ranging urban house mice in Vancouver, BC.
The conference wrapped up with an informal social gathering among members of CWHC, organized by Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Damien Joly. This was a fantastic opportunity to connect with other wildlife experts across Canada and discuss emerging issues in wildlife health!
Written by: Lisa Lee