Malignant Melanoma in a Free-Ranging Piebald Elk (Cervus canadensis) from Pennsylvania

A free-ranging, adult, piebald Cervus canadensis (Elk) was found emaciated and moribund in Pennsylvania and was humanely dispatched due to poor prognosis. The cow had pigmented masses in the oropharyngeal cavity and lung that were cytologically and histopathologically diagnosed as melanoma. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an oropharyngeal melanoma in free-ranging Elk. The association between melanoma and piebaldism in cervids is not understood and requires further investigation.