DEAR READERS: While the below information may be depressing, it is also a call to action at state and federal levels. We must improve wildlife protection and habitat conservation and restoration.

From The Guardian, Jan. 29: "Genetic diversity in animals and plants has declined globally over the past three decades, an analysis of more than 600 species has found. The research, published in the journal Nature, found declines in two-thirds of the populations studied, but noted that urgent conservation efforts could halt or even reverse genetic diversity losses."

Promising remedies include protecting and expanding natural habitats, connecting isolated populations and introducing new individuals. See the full study: "Global meta-analysis shows action is needed to halt genetic diversity loss" by Robyn Shaw et al., published in Nature, Jan. 29.

MINNESOTA’S WHITE-TAIL DEER, HUNTERS AND WOLVES

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, in 2011, “the total annual economic impact of hunting in Minnesota exceeded $725 million, and more than 85% of hunters in Minnesota hunt deer. There are more than 500,000 deer hunters in Minnesota, which means that about 1 out of every 10 Minnesotans hunt deer each year. The 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation estimated that more than 1.5 million people spent $621 million to observe, feed or photograph wildlife in Minnesota during 2011.”

Likewise, hearing, observing and photographing wolves is a major income-generator in states where there are still wolves. Reporter Dennis Anderson, in his recent article “Wolves more likely to be delisted under Trump,” asserts that “wolves have gained a lot of friends in recent decades, making politics, not biology or policy integrity, the major force driving their management.”

This politicization of ethics, compassion and respect for wolves and other wildlife is lamentable, as is wildlife “management” being based on commercial considerations rather than on sound ecological science. According to the nonprofit Faunalytics, wild mammals now make up just 4% of Earth's total mammal biomass. Farmed animals make up 60%, and humans, 34%.

The prevailing attitude toward wildlife, exemplified by the sanitized language of “harvesting,” is a sad reflection of a state of mind that sees the natural world as a source of exploitable resources. Such a mindset completely disregards animal sentience and the intrinsic and ecological value of wolves, as well as other predators that humans continue to annihilate. Such disregard has contributed to climate change and the accelerated loss of biodiversity around the world.

Better “management” of our own species is long overdue, along with a revision of our values and appetites.

HIGH CONTAMINANT LEVELS FOUND IN COMMON GAME BIRDS

Contaminants such as organochlorine pesticides, PCBs and per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances were found in every sample tested from five species of commonly hunted waterfowl in the northeast Atlantic Flyway. American black ducks, green-winged teal and mallards had higher levels of contamination than Canada geese or wood ducks. The findings highlight the importance of protecting high-quality habitats, and suggest that current consumption advisories may need updating. (Full story: news.cornell.edu, Jan. 23)

MONARCH BUTTERFLY TALLY CLOSE TO RECORD LOW

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation reports a 96% decline in numbers of monarch butterflies between 2023 and 2024 -- a 30-year low. The decline is attributable to a combination of pesticides, drought and wildfires, plus the loss of habitat for milkweed, the host plant for monarch caterpillars.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: The information and opinions that I publish in this nationally syndicated column are always based on sound, factual scientific and/or medical evidence, which I cite. As my sources for news and other information, I rely on my local newspaper, unbiased TV channels such as PBS and the BBC, and the websites of nonprofits and professional organizations.

I am not alone in being deeply concerned that millions of people now rely on social media platforms for their “news” while local papers become extinct. People tend to believe what they read on their screens, backed up by photos that may have been modified or outright fabricated.

This rising reliance on the internet has brought on the decline of fact-checking and encouraged the spread of misinformation and disinformation. It foments conspiracy theories and hate speech. Disinformation leads to distrust of established institutions and government agencies, and misinformation to confusion, conflict and violence.

The remedy is simple: Get off social media platforms. But the addictive and ego-gratifying elements of social media get people hooked, beginning in childhood, and the adverse health consequences are now being quantified. Still, the effort must be made. The divisive, anti-democratic use of social media platforms, many owned by billionaires and manipulated by “influencers” for political and commercial purposes, is a warning for all.

AUTHORITARIAN U.S. REGIME SILENCING SCIENCE

Below is an excerpt from a New York Times article entitled “Trump Killed a Major Report on Nature. They’re Trying to Publish It Anyway” by Catrin Einhorn.

“The draft was almost ready for submission, due in less than a month. More than 150 scientists and other experts had collectively spent thousands of hours working on the report, a first-of-its-kind assessment of nature across the United States. But President Trump ended the effort, started under the Biden administration, by executive order. So, on Jan. 30, the project’s director, an environmental scientist named Phil Levin, sent an email telling members of his team that their work had been discontinued. ...

"Biodiversity, the variety of life on Earth, is declining faster than at any time in human history, according to a landmark global scientific assessment. The National Nature Assessment was intended to provide a much more robust picture of the state of play for the United States, the authors said.” (Full story: NYTimes.com, Feb. 10)

It is blatantly clear that the Trump administration sees wildlife and biodiversity conservation as an obstacle to the fossil fuel industry and its documented legacy of contributing to the climate and extinction crises. I see this opposition to science as another example of bio-fascism -- part of the nihilistic, anti-democratic path of post-Constitutional governance of the United States of America.

This current administration’s gutting of the Environmental Protection Agency, and its dismantling of USAID and other federal agencies that serve the common good, is evidence of its total disregard for public health and well-being. The connections between our own health, environmental protection and biodiversity conservation and restoration are not recognized. In fact, they are being broken apart. This essential unity has long been recognized by health experts, as I document in my new book, "One Health: Veterinary, Ethical and Environmental Perspectives."

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: The Trump administration’s freeze on foreign assistance provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development means that the U.S. will cease its long-established, compassionate efforts to provide emergency care for people around the world suffering from famine, natural disasters and disease, and to provide veterinary care for their animals.

This cost-cutting action is being undertaken by “efficiency” czar Elon Musk in the full knowledge that without USAID, the human condition in many countries will rapidly deteriorate. There will be massive population displacements and staggering mortality rates. The ideology behind this action engenders conspiracy theories of population reduction and capitalistic isolationism, but fundamentally, it is simply inhumane -- part of a world where the rich no longer help those in need.

As a veterinarian who has served poor communities in India, I am appalled by the proposed closure of USAID, an entity that has done so much good for animals around the world. For details, see usaid.gov/results-data/success-stories/veterinary-services-boost-animal-health. (Note: As of this writing, the website is down -- hopefully temporarily.) These veterinary services are essential contributions to animal health and welfare, local economies and public health, and they protect wildlife from diseases transmitted by domestic animals.

HUMAN RISK OF BIRD FLU PANDEMIC RISING

From Nature.com:

"At least 68 people in North America have become ill from the H5N1 avian influenza virus and one person has died. Most of these illnesses were mild, but emerging data indicate that variants of the virus can cause severe disease and death, especially when passed directly to people from birds. Researchers are monitoring two main variants -- one carried mainly by birds and one carried mainly by cows -- but the numbers of human infections are too small to determine whether one is more dangerous than the other.

"'If the virus has adapted to cows, it is also better adapted to go into human cells,' says evolutionary virologist Daniel Goldhill. 'This is a first stepping-stone for the virus -- and it has increased the risk level of a virus jumping to humans.'" (Full story: Nature.com, Jan. 27)

Relatedly, in November, the World Organisation for Animal Health reported the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of influenza variously infecting poultry and wildlife in approximately 20 countries. This viral strain is wiping out wild animals in many species, avian and mammalian. Veterinarians and public health agencies are warning people to keep their cats indoors, and not to feed them raw milk or pet foods made with raw poultry.

INFLUENZA STUDIES HALTED AS OUTBREAK GROWS

The publication of at least two studies on avian influenza -- involving potential infections among veterinarians and possible transmission from people to pet cats -- has been stalled by the Trump administration. The studies would have appeared in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a critical public health document, but the administration halted its publication as part of a broad "freeze" on government communications.

The studies that were slated to appear are vital for our understanding of the spread of the virus and for preventing a potential pandemic. Former CDC officials have raised concerns about political interference in scientific reporting. (Full story: CNN.com, Jan. 30)

Precisely what interests -- and whose -- is the Trump administration serving?

NEW GUIDELINES FOR TIMING SPAY/NEUTER OF CERTAIN DOGS

A study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science presents evidence-based recommendations for the optimum age at which various dog breeds should be spayed or neutered. Spaying or neutering before a puppy is 6 months old is associated with higher risks for joint disorders, cancers and cranial cruciate ligament tears in certain sexes and breeds. For details, see universityofcalifornia.edu/news/when-should-you-neuter-or-spay-your-dog.

In another report, neutering Labrador retrievers before 12 months of age increases their risk of cruciate ligament rupture. For details, see pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39383890.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)