Tag Archives: giraffes

Winter Wonders during a Seneca Park Zoo Externship!

  By Rimsha Malik • February 18, 2024 ,

Choosing Seneca Park Zoo:

Being a Rochester native, Seneca Park Zoo, home to nearly 100 different species, has always been my home zoo. A couple of years ago, Dr. Chris McKinney, who had worked at the small animal GP my family pets see, transitioned from relief veterinarian to full-time zoo veterinarian. So, as a veterinary student very much interested in a career in zoo medicine, I reached out. And for the past couple of years, as my schedule allowed, I went in for a few days here and there to shadow. This past winter, my schedule finally opened up long enough to facilitate a ~3-week externship, and I took full advantage!

Typical Day:

Canada lynx receiving anesthetized physical exam and survey radiographs.

Each day at the zoo started off similarly enough – review the previous days’ keeper reports for all of the animals housed at the zoo, check in on hospitalized animals in the clinic (if there were any), and then check on any of the animals that had a problem (big or small) flagged in their reports.

Beyond that, there was no “typical day” – which for me, makes zoo medicine so appealing and such a unique challenge. A few days were spent working through planned procedures – an anesthetized full physical/radiographs on a Canada Lynx, annual exams for the Burmese pythons, etc. Others we’d find ourselves bouncing between exhibits as various questions/concerns from the keepers would arise throughout the day. Others yet, we would have a relatively quiet afternoon – allowing me to take full advantage of the veterinary library or review literature to update protocols in advance of the zoo’s AZA accreditation renewal this spring.

And while there was no typical day, the experience as a whole was reflective of what can be expected with a career in zoo medicine – a balance of paperwork/meetings, speaking with keepers, observing the animals, and the actual hands-on clinical work with the animals.

Olive baboon receiving laser therapy treatment

Favorite Memories:

Having learned so much and worked with so many incredible people and animals, it’s impossible to pare it down to one favorite memory or experience. From laser therapy on a baboon, to blood draws on a bearded dragon, to evaluating lameness on a gray wolf, I got to do and see so much. But, some of my personal highlights included the visits to the giraffe barn, working with the sea lions, and Loki (a domestic rat).

About 2 weeks before my externship, the zoo announced the birth of a giraffe calf. And then again, just 2 days before my externship, the zoo announced the birth of a second giraffe calf. And of course, while the calves were incredibly cute and a joy to observe, following Kipenzi’s case (one of the mothers) was particularly memorable. This past summer, Kipenzi was found to have a mass on her jaw that was biopsied and confirmed to be squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Kipenzi’s care includes scheduled radiographs to assess progression and the application of an immunostimulant as a chemotherapeutic.

Working with the sea lions was another highlight for me. During my externship, there was a flare-up in corneal pathologies. With the sea lions receiving such extensive training and already being conditioned to receive eye-drops daily, I got to have a more hands-on role in this case which was very rewarding. It also led to discussions between myself and the veterinary team on corneal management for sea lions – something we are hoping to potentially explore as a research study in the future.

Feeding/training session with California Sea lions in which we are also able to examine their eyes.

 

 

 

And lastly there is Loki the domestic rat – one of the few patients who didn’t quickly scurry away upon the veterinary team’s arrival. Loki had originally presented for a small mass on his cheek which was drained and debrided. We made several follow-up visits to assess his wound as it healed, and Loki, who liked to climb up our arms and perch on our shoulders during his re-checks, quickly became a favorite patient of mine.

Recommendations:

As cliche as it may sound, my biggest piece of advice is to take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way – be it small animal, large animal, exotics, or zoo! All of the zoo/wildlife veterinarians I’ve had the privilege of working with up to this point, have all emphasized the importance of having a good foundational knowledge in the domestic species. And even in my 3 short weeks at Seneca Park Zoo, I found this to be true – I was constantly relating management of species like wolves, giraffes, elephants, etc. back to that foundation of dog, cat, cow, and horse.

Final Thoughts:

I am so incredibly grateful to the amazing team at Seneca Park Zoo – Dr. Chis McKinney, technicians Robin and Tammy, and all of the keepers and curators I met. Everyone there was not only eager to teach and share their knowledge/experiences, but also incredibly supportive and encouraging. I’ve left this experience with so much new knowledge and many incredible memories that I will take with me as I continue to navigate my journey in zoo medicine.

 

Erin Guntrum, Class of 2025, is from Rochester, NY and received her B.S. in both Animal Behavior, Ecology, & Conservation (ABEC) and Biological Science from Canisius College (now Canisius University) in 2021. While at Cornell, Erin has been a student technician at the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital. She has also been a member of ZAWS, SAVMA, and the behavior and therio clubs. Erin hopes to pursue a career in zoological medicine and participate in research related to conservation, behavioral endocrinology, and theriogenology.

Baby Giraffes Galore! Great Adventures at Six Flags Wild Safari

  By Rimsha Malik • November 28, 2023 ,

Why did you choose to pursue this particular experience?

In the summer of 2020, I began working at Six Flags Great Adventure Wild Safari in Jackson, NJ, as a seasonal warden focusing specifically on the husbandry of various species in the safari park. The following summer, I participated in a pre-veterinary internship. Since entering vet school, I have continued to return home to the safari on holiday breaks. It felt only right that my last summer, prior to entering clinics, be spent at the place that has helped me discover my passion for zoological medicine and continues to challenge me to improve in the clinical skills, diagnostics techniques, and treatment methods involved in the field. 

What was a typical day like?

While participating in the veterinary internship, I was mainly responsible for the care of the animals that resided in the clinic and assisting the veterinary staff with procedures and treatments. A typical day began with bottle feeding and treating animals in the clinic followed by accompanying one of the vets on morning rounds of the park. After we rode through the safari, following up on patients and observing all the species within the park, each day was variable. This is the aspect of zoo medicine that has always been so appealing to me! Some days were booked with planned procedures and check-ins on species of all shapes and sizes. Others would start off calmly and the course of the day would change abruptly with reports of concerns out in the safari. Throughout the day, I would keep track of neonatal feeding schedules and monitoring critical cases that were in the clinic. I also played a role in teaching the pre-veterinary interns that were rotating through the clinic anatomic and physiologic concepts that will hopefully prepare them for their future goals of veterinary school. No matter which path the day took, each day would end with another drive through the safari and watching the elephants walk back to the barn.

What was your favorite memory from this experience? 

Each time I return to the safari, I love seeing animals that were hand-reared or patients in the clinic, doing well on exhibit. In the early winter of 2021, a young Roosevelt Elk was brought into the clinic with a severe infection in her hoof. While there for winter break, I had the opportunity to help hand-rear the elk and assist with chemical immobilizations, bandage changes, and radiographs of her distal limb. After a lengthy period of treatment, her condition began to improve. When returning this summer, I was excited to see how well she was doing as she began her reintroduction phase with other species in the American Section!

What species did you enjoy working with the most?

Nothing could top the giraffe calves born this summer! One in particular, Chich, was by far my favorite as I had the privilege of caring for the not–so-little-guy in the clinic. Being born at roughly 200lbs, Chich was having difficulty standing on his own, and needed additional care to help him get back on his feet! 

What were the outcomes of this experience?

Through interning in the safari, I have become more confident in all aspects of veterinary medicine. I developed essential clinical skills like venipuncture and injection administration, while also expanding upon skills, like darting, are more specific to zoo medicine. Improving upon evaluating diagnostics, specifically interpreting radiographs and blood work, was a goal I set for myself this summer, and through the guidance of my mentors I feel like I have made strides towards achieving that. The most valuable veterinary skill I feel I improved upon was my critical thinking, as my thoughts on every aspect of a case were always prompted before the next steps were pursued. This improved not only my thought process surrounding the pharmacology of chemical immobilization and treatment of disease immensely, but also allowed me to step back and consider factors like herd dynamics when it came to the methods that would be used for diagnostics and treatment. Overall, building the trust of my mentors to be more involved in the cases within safari, teaching the pre-veterinary interns, and beginning to write medical records, was a result of this internship that I was beyond grateful for. 

 

What are your goals in veterinary medicine? 

With ambitions to become a zoo veterinarian, this opportunity allowed me to experience what every day could look like within a zoo. After being exposed to field medicine in the safari setting, it has fine-tuned my goals to aspire to work in a safari setting. Intercommunication between a number of species over a vast landscape creates a whole different aspect of veterinary medicine that is scarcely found anywhere else. One must incorporat

e multi-herd dynamics, population medicine, and focus on the individual animal all under one umbrella, which excites me. With so many different paths open to pursue in veterinary medicine, being passionate about what you are doing and genuinely happy in a position is something that should never be compromised. After this internship, I have cemented that zoo medicine is where I am meant to be, and where I hope to find myself in the future.

What are your recommendations to students interested in the wildlife/zoo field?

I would advise those interested in the wildlife/zoo field to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way because you never know what doors that experience may open for you. Enter every new experience with an open mind and this will allow you to take away the most you can from each. Once you find what makes you happy, work hard and find a strong support system that you can rely on to help you remember why you love doing what you are doing if times get tough.

Erica Jackson, Class of 2025, is originally from Toms River, NJ and obtained her BS in Pre-Veterinary Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. While at Cornell, Erica was the President of the Zoo and Wildlife Society and a student technician in the Exotics Department of the CUHA. She also was a member of SAVMA, AABP, and enjoyed choreographing and dancing in the Dance Collective. Erica aspires to pursue zoological medicine in the future and is very appreciative of her mentors and advisor for helping her develop as a veterinary student and professional.