Gazelles, Brain Surgery, Elephants and Kestrels: A Spontaneous, Life-Altering 4 Months in Israel

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, much like everyone else, my summer externship plans were severely impacted. However, in the middle of spring semester 2021, I sought out an opportunity over 5000 miles away that resulted in being one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The Israeli Wildlife Hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel, which operates as a non-profit organization with shared ownership through the Ramat Gan Safari/Zoological Center and Israeli National Parks Authority, is responsible for the treatment, management and release of all wildlife brought to its doors. As the sole wildlife hospital in the country, this unique hospital manages a heavy and varied daily caseload, treating both wildlife and zoo animals. The hospital employs a multi-faceted team of veterinary professionals, supported by zookeepers, technicians, curators, ecologists, zoologists, and volunteers to work collaboratively to provide advanced animal care. It was in this setting that I was able to experience nearly all facets of wildlife/zoological animal care – my first clinical experience with such varied wildlife/zoo patients.

Sometimes triaging upwards of 20+ patients per morning, animals in need of care were brought in from park rangers and ordinary citizens. Creating a prioritized triage and assessment of the patients was paramount for the maximal survival of the patients. In addition to individual requirements, fluid therapy was a hallmark of initial care, at times requiring catheterization. As a result, I fine-tuned my clinical skills/techniques, facilitated catheters, participated in numerous surgeries and devised treatment plans and dietary/husbandry techniques with the veterinarians and keepers.  

An all-hands-on deck participation was often required for the most fragile of patients, from raptor chicks like common and lesser Kestrels and Scops Owls to non-raptor winged animals like kingfishers, swallows, bee-eaters, and occasionally bats. In terms of small mammals, Western Eurasian hedgehogs infected with Scabies were a common occurrence – sometimes with more severe crusting, and/or unrelated trauma. Further diagnostics employing imaging modalities, fluid plans, dosing/delivering medications, etc. rapidly and efficiently were often needed.Patients often needed temporary homes or to be quarantined to prevent the spread of pathogens between patients. I was impressed by the incredible knowledge of the head keepers, who were so attuned to each species’ requirements and were able to direct appropriately.

The diversity of animals I was exposed to was awesome! Highlights included treating an African elephant in the zoo with signs of colic, chameleons from the Galilee region, stone-curlews, eagle owls,  and a large male ibex with a broken femur. Throughout the three-month externship and while working in visual distance of zebras, rhinos, waterfowl, and the like, I participated in the care of many different types of animals, each of which had specific species protocols. For example, critical protocols for hooved animals like gazelles and ibexes (often brought in as a hit-by-car accidents) were in place to prevent the spread of harmful disease. Foot and Mouth disease is a highly contagious aphthovirus with varying strains throughout the Middle East. If introduced, this would be detrimental to the Safari animals. Impromptu field work required us to meet the park rangers at the gate of the safari, perform a quick and calm physical assessment, collect blood, run an ELISA and once negative, bring the patient into the grounds for a full evaluation. Additionally with these ungulates, capture myopathy was another real and serious implication, given the animal’s extensive journey to the hospital from the wild.

Israel is a small country and the team must constantly create appropriate treatment and release plans for their patients, taking into consideration neighboring countries’ cultural and animal care differences as many of the species are migratory and traverse through borders. Often, we saw raptors with lead bullets, metabolic bone disease, and clear signs of cut wings and rope strangulations. These examples highlight the cultural differences in neighboring countries in direct contrast to Israel’s strict animal care laws – preventing wild animal ownership and hunting.

One case involving the complete exam/work up, diagnosis and neurologic surgical treatment of a female ibex with Sarcocystis neurona sticks out in my memory. The young female ibex was brought to the hospital with an appreciable left-sided head tilt and ipsilateral circling. Radiographs including skull images were taken, revealing no obvious insult or head trauma. Thereafter, a conservative treatment protocol was devised. Without any resumption of clinical signs over the next days, one of the country’s top neuro-specialists from the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine came to perform a thorough neurologic exam and advise the team towards the course of action. A CT was needed in which I, along with one of the house veterinarians, transported the ibex and another neurologic in-patient (a fox) to a nearby advanced small animal practice to perform the CT. A large cyst was evident in the CT images and CSF fluid was collected and analyzed. Sarcocystis neurona was the top differential and we prepped for surgery. It was incredible to watch the surgery and experience this so early in my veterinary career. The surgery was a profound success as the gelatinous cyst (confirmed to be Sarcocystis neurona) atop the cerebellum was removed. Within days of treatment her head tilt resolved and approximately two weeks post-surgery, I participated in her release back to the wild. Driving south, to the Mitzpe Ramon Crater in the Negev desert, the beautiful scenery and landscape was only surpassed by the joy of seeing the release of the ibex to her native environment. She darted out of her carrier and seemed to appreciate the scenery as much as I did. With a parting glance, the animal successfully reintegrated back to her land. The magic of this story was so special that it was written about in the “Yediot Achranot” [one of the major newspapers in Israel] with my name written in Hebrew attached – quite the feature!

Among the usual stresses that come with the end of a semester, I would never have imagined experiencing intense rocket attacks. As sirens sounded, video from the safari displayed a peculiar behavior: adult elephants began circling the calves in a predatory-protective mode  https://www.ynetnews.com/environment/article/BkbDNgOF00. Furthermore, the safari itself was directly impacted when a missile landed adjacent to one of the monkeys exhibits, and shrapnel pierced the back of one primate and simultaneously burned the wings of a nearby bird. Safari veterinarians quickly performed lifesaving treatments on the animals and fortunately, none lost their lives. Both stories were broadcast in the Israeli media outlets and garnered an overflow of support from the Israeli population. While those 11 days were truly frightening, with sirens blaring throughout the night and day at any moment, interceptions from Israel’s Iron Dome Defense system overhead, I was grateful to have a strong support network of family, friends and Cornell faculty willing to work with me to complete the semester.

The four months I spent in Israel posed a truly unforgettable experience. I befriended people from all over the world, explored the country, improved my Hebrew knowledge and underwent substantial personal development. I learned an array of clinical skills, zoological knowledge, and management skills from experts. The high quality of medicine at the Israeli Wildlife Hospital with an incredibly knowledgeable, understanding, positive, and welcoming team made this experience unforgettable.

For students interested in externship opportunities, the team is eager to welcome veterinary students and I couldn’t recommend this experience any further. They may be reached at hospital@safari.co.il (Hebrew knowledge not required) and follow them on Instagram @Israel.wildlife.hospital and the Ramat Gan Safari: @Safari_Israel

Israeli Wildlife Hospital Homepage:

https://www.wildlife-hospital.org.il/en/%D7%93%D7%A3-%D7%94%D7%91%D7%99%D7%AA-copy/


Jared Zion, Class of 2023, hails from New York City. Since Jared’s start at Cornell, he has been in pursuit of exploring unique veterinary opportunities. His passion for non-traditional species is driven by the uniqueness, individual requirements and complexities in every patient – harnessing a huge drive through his path in veterinary medicine. Some of the most important things in Jared’s life involve creating genuine connections, travel, learning about different cultures, and creating a balanced, stress-minimal life that will enhance  his career working with such a variety of species in the future. 

Lessons from Wolf Tracking in the Pacific Northwest

Wild wolf caught on trail camera.

Few species have as storied a history with humans as the wolf. From an early age, I was fascinated by their prehistoric domestication and their more recent exterminations and reintroductions. I devoured every book about wolves I could find, and learned about the 1995 reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park. I found it so fascinating that one species could have such an extensive impact on the landscape. The wolves pushed elk from their comfortable hangouts on river banks, allowing stream flora to build up, and a greater variety of birds to make their homes on the banks. Wolves’ presence went so far as to have a physical effect on the topography of the area, and even brought back the quaking aspen tree from the brink of extinction! Learning these facts made me realize how important wolves are to their ecosystems as a keystone species, and kindled my desire to go out and explore the land they were changing.  

As a high school freshman already thinking about a career working with animals, I took part in a wolf tracking summer camp for teenagers run by Wilderness Awareness School, based in Washington State (quite a distance away from my home in New Jersey). At this camp we searched for signs of wildlife during the day on field expeditions, and came back in the afternoon to hit our mobile library to research our observations. Our instructors drilled us in subjects like paw pad morphology, bird markings, and common behaviors of local wildlife. We developed our deductive reasoning skills by transforming our observations on the ground into conclusions about the ecosystem’s structure. Every time we thought we’d found a sign of the area’s resident wolf pack, we’d mark it down on our map. By the end of the camp we had a pretty good idea of its recent activities. We left a trail camera at one of their high activity sites, and captured a video of an adult wolf accompanied by that year’s new litter of pups! Not only was it rewarding to see such elusive animals on our own cameras, but also we were the first observers to confirm that the pack had whelped that year. We were able to provide that information to Washington’s state scientist.

Front and hind track from a wolf in the cascade mountains.

There I also learned about the current challenges that occur when the lives of wolves and people intersect. In Washington and Idaho where wolves travel down from Canada and up from their reintroduction point in Yellowstone, they live on the same land where cattle farmers raise free range beef. Needless to say, this creates a complex intersection of values. Cattle farmers depend on their livestock for their livelihoods. Ranchers and their communities are concerned that wolves will harm that livelihood by killing their cattle instead of elusive deer. Whether it was seeing bumper stickers that said “smoke a pack a day” next to a picture of a wolf’s head, or hearing stories about hunters shouting at the top of the lungs that all wolves need to go to hell, I learned quickly that people felt strongly about this issue. As a future veterinarian and scientist, I understand the need for veterinarians to protect and help both cattle and wolves, supporting farmers and healthy ecosystems. 

Before attending this program, I didn’t understand how reintroducing wolves could have any negative impacts. Through my experience at Wilderness Awareness School I came to appreciate the validity of the concerns for reintroduction. Even if reintroducing wolves benefits the overall ecosystem, we cannot ignore the effects they have on ranchers’ livelihoods. Whether it’s protecting a herd of cattle, or treating an injured wolf, veterinarians can help innovate solutions to benefit all animals, wild and domestic. 


Patrick Liu, class of 2024, is a Cornell DVM student. He graduated with a degree in chemistry from Rutgers University in 2020, and plans to pursue internships and residencies after veterinary school. Apart from his love for horses, he has a strong interest in ecological research and wildlife and conservation medicine. 

 

 

Webinar: The Role of Tropical Secondary Forests in Conservation and Restoration

What:  A joint webinar sponsored by the Society for Ecological Restoration and the ATBC.  You can sign-up to watch it by going to http://tropicalbiology.org/career-development/webinars/role-secondary-forests/.

When: Thursday, Dec 14, 2017 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM EST

More Details:

Secondary forest regrowth following agricultural land use represents a major feature of human-modified landscapes across the tropics. International interest is growing regarding the importance of secondary forests for biodiversity conservation, for large-scale reforestation programs, and for the role of these forests in mitigating effects of global climate change. In this webinar, researchers from different disciplines of social and natural science will discuss the importance of second-growth forests for conserving and restoring biodiversity, and recovering ecosystem functions and services. This webinar will address five key questions about the ecology, governance, landscape conditions, and social drivers of secondary tropical forests and the role these forests can play for conservation and restoration in the Anthropocene. The panel will include researchers from different disciplines of natural and social sciences that will discuss these aspects and pinpoint guidelines for future research and policies for conserving biodiversity and to restore degraded lands in human-modified landscapes across the world’s tropics.

Webinar topics and presenters:

Introduction: Why secondary forests? Why now?

Dr. F. Bongers, Ph.D., Senior Professor, Forest Ecology and Management Group, Wageningen University, Netherlands.

To what extent does second-growth forest represent an option for conserving biodiversity in human modified landscapes?

Dr. Robin Chazdon (forest ecologist), Professor Emerita, University of Connecticut, USA; Executive Director ATBC.

What are the key issues affecting governance and the fate of secondary forests as a tool for large-scale forest restoration in the tropics?

Dr. Manuel R. Guariguata (forest ecologist), CIFOR, Lima, Peru.

What are the knowledge gaps for better understanding of forest regrowth in tropical human modified landscapes?

Dr. Laura C. Schneider (biogeographer), Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

How is natural regeneration affected by landscape conditions and how this is important for considering the role of NR in large-scale restoration?

Dr. Miguel Martínez-Ramos (forest ecologist): Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacan, México.

What social factors are associated with forest regrowth and how are these changing?

Dr. Thomas Rudel (sociologist), Senior Professor of Human Ecology at Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey.

How can strategic approaches to restoration maximize the benefits and synergies of secondary forests for conservation and ecosystem services?

Dr. Bernardo Strassburg (economist): Rio Conservation and Sustainability Science Centre (PUC-Rio University) & International Institute for Sustainability, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Event: Biogeochemistry, Environmental Science and Sustainability (BESS) Seminar Series

BESS seminar series welcomes Dr. Amanda Subalusky
Afternoon Seminar
Title: Animal migrations and resource subsidies influence river ecosystem dynamics
Where: Morison Room, A106 Corson Hall
When: Friday, November 10th, 4:00 pm
Refreshments following seminar

Morning discussion group with Amanda 
Title: Annual mass drownings of the Serengeti wildebeest migration influence nutrient cycling and storage in the Mara River
Where: Cole Room, A306 Corson Hall
When: Friday, December 1st10:00-11:00 am
Refreshments provided 

Event: Tropical River Seminar

 

Time: Friday, October 20 at 4:00 pm

Location: Morison Room, A106 Corson Hall

Dr. Steve Hamilton will be giving a talk titled “Dams large and small: Ecosystem impacts on the world’s tropical river systems”.  Steve is a professor of ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry at Michigan State University and has done extensive work in Australia and South America.

If you are interested in meeting with Steve one-on-one on Friday, please contact Erin Larson at ern.larson@gmail.com.

Sustainable Biodiversity Fund Symposium

The Sustainable Biodiversity Fund Symposium will be held on October 5th in the Morrison Room, A106 Corson-Mudd Hall.  The event will start at 1:45 and will feature many short talks.  Refreshments will be served.  Bring your own reusable cup or mug.

The Sustainable Biodiversity Fund provides support for graduate students and postdocs doing biodiversity research.  For more information go to their website here: http://www.atkinson.cornell.edu/grants/acsf-sbf/index.php