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Population bottlenecks, fragmentation, and isolation can have lasting effects on population genetic structure by decreasing diversity and increasing differentiation among regions. Fishers (Pekania pennanti) were extirpated from many regions of Ontario, Canada, in the early twentieth century because of overharvest, habitat loss, and predator control, although the species has since recolonized much of its former range. Between 2001 and 2003, the recolonized population could be split into several genetically distinct clusters likely corresponding to historical trapping refuges. We reassessed the genetic diversity and population structure of fishers approximately 10 years after recolonization to determine whether homogenization had occurred among genetic clusters, and whether hypothesized northward migration had continued following recolonization of southeastern Ontario by fishers from the Adirondack Mountains of New York, USA. We found no significant changes in the uppermost level of genetic structure but did find evidence of increased lower‐level structure and decreased migration throughout the province, contrary to our hypothesis. This may be indicative of a reduction in fisher density or could be due to the population reaching a migration‐drift equilibrium following a period of rapid expansion. Our results highlight the potential importance and utility of continued genetic monitoring following local extirpation and recolonization. Conservation managers can use periodically sampled population genetic information to adapt and update management strategies. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

BackgroundSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, is capable of infecting a variety of wildlife species. Wildlife living in close contact with humans are at an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and if infected have the potential to become a reservoir for the pathogen, making control and management more difficult.ObjectiveTo conduct SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in urban wildlife from Ontario and Québec, Canada, increasing our knowledge of the epidemiology of the virus and our chances of detecting spillover from humans into wildlife.MethodsUsing a One Health approach, we leveraged activities of existing research, surveillance, and rehabilitation programs among multiple agencies to collect samples from 776 animals from 17 different wildlife species between June 2020 and May 2021. Samples from all animals were tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA, and a subset of samples from 219 animals across 3 species (raccoons, Procyon lotor; striped skunks, Mephitis mephitis; and mink, Neovison vison) were also tested for the presence of neutralizing antibodies.ResultsNo evidence of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA or neutralizing antibodies was detected in any of the tested samples.ConclusionAlthough we were unable to identify positive SARS-CoV-2 cases in wildlife, continued research and surveillance activities are critical to better understand the rapidly changing landscape of susceptible animal species. Collaboration between academic, public and animal health sectors should include experts from relevant fields to build coordinated surveillance and response capacity.

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