Category: Research Results

At the end of September 2023. A dead European Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis) was found in the village Selling, province of Groningen, and collected for research on the cause of death.

Foto: © vinder In November 2023 a young wolf was found dead in the mud in the woods of the Northern Veluwe, a nature reserve in the centre of the Netherlands. The animal could not free itself and died. It was brought to the Dutch Wildlife Health Centre (DHWC) in Utrecht where it was investigated by ecologists

Since the last major outbreak of bird flu in 2023, mainly among gulls and terns, the spread of bird flu among wild birds in the Netherlands has been relatively little. However, the virus is still around. It is important to stay vigilant on sick and dead birds.

Bird flu is still present among wild birds in the Netherlands. The virus is now endemic in wild bird populations and still causes mortality, although fortunately less than last summer. Some birds have built up partial protection (immunity) against the disease, which means they die less quickly but are also sick

In September 2023, bluetongue virus (BTV, serotype 3) was detected in sheep. Bluetongue is a viral disease that primarily affects sheep and cattle, but other ruminants such as deer can also be infected. The virus is transmitted by infected midges.

Avian influenza is circulating again among wild birds in the Netherlands. In November, the virus was detected in birds in the provinces of Gelderland, Friesland, Groningen, and Utrecht.

For the first time in the Netherlands, tularemia has been confirmed in a wild red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris). The squirrel was found sick in early October 2023 in the municipality of Bunnik, province of Utrecht, and died shortly thereafter. The squirrel was collected by the DWHC for post-mortem investigation.

In October, a dead beaver was found in the municipality of Maashorst, North-Brabant. The animal had settled there about a year ago. The beaver was collected by the DWHC for post-mortem investigation.

Joint report from the Dutch Wildlife Health Centre, Erasmus MC, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, and Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, with thanks to the Royal Dutch Hunters’ Association (KNJV), Zuid-Kennemerland National Park, and Waternet.

Dead white stork. Photo: Ferry Brands On 16 July 2023, an almost fully fledged white stork (Ciconia ciconia) was found under its nest in Megen, Noord-Brabant. Half an hour before the young was practising wing flapping. The stork was collected by the DWHC in Utrecht to investigate the cause of death.