wildlife health – WildLIFE

Baby Giraffes Galore! Great Adventures at Six Flags Wild Safari

By Rimsha Malik • November 28, 2023 Externships, Wildlife Opportunities Outside CUCVM

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.

You Better Belize It

By Maison Scheuer • November 9, 2022 Courses

There was once a time in my life when I could only dream about performing a physical exam on a sedated jaguar in the Belizean jungle, but that dream, along with many others, became a reality as a student enrolled in Dr. Noha Abou-Madi’s International Experience in Wildlife Health and Conservation course. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine (CUCVM) has been partnered with the Belize Zoo since 2011 to provide state-of-the-art veterinary care while simultaneously fulfilling the dreams of adventurous veterinary students looking to hone their clinical skills. After having to cancel this trip multiple times throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Noha Abou-Madi could not be more excited to offer this course once again to those with career goals involving wildlife and zoological medicine. In this course, students travel to the Belize Zoo where they stay for a week to gain hands-on experience with various mammals, birds, and reptiles native to Belize.

International Experience in Wildlife Health and Conservation provides students with opportunities that go beyond the core curriculum, offering depth and breadth of knowledge in zoological and conservation medicine. Previous student Sophie Yasuda ‘25 stated, “one of my favorite parts of the trip was being able to participate in every aspect of the animals’ veterinary care and learn about each component from knowledgeable veterinarians. Being able to conduct physical exams, monitor anesthesia, observe dental procedures, collect samples, and run lab work on species as majestic and diverse as jaguars and harpy eagles was an incredible experience. In addition, it was a valuable learning experience to work in an unfamiliar hospital and extremely rewarding to feel our group turn into a cohesive and close-knit team.”

After working with an otter, kinkajou, and fer-de-lance, Erin Guntrum ‘25 recalls that her most memorable experience of the trip was auscultating the heart of one of the jaguars. She thought that the heart sounds were abnormal, but she was unable to figure out exactly what was abnormal about them – a murmur, an extra heart sound, an abnormal rhythm, etc. She worked closely with Veterinary Resident of Zoological Medicine Dr. Melissa Hanson to discover a split S2 sound – something that Dr. Hanson explained can be a normal finding in a larger animal where the aortic and pulmonic valves do not always close with perfect synchronicity. This was a memorable experience for Erin because despite not being able to identify the exact heart sound, she was able to recognize a difference between the heart sounds she heard in the jaguar and the ones she has been taught in CUCVM’s core curriculum. As a student developing her clinical skills, this felt like a win to Erin, and I agree!

The relationship between the Belize Zoo and CUCVM is one that not only fosters students’ education and clinical skills as they pertain to zoological medicine, but also as they pertain to conservation. The Belize Zoo is highly committed to the animals within their direct care, but they also care for those that live beyond their gates. Erin Guntrum ‘25 recalls a lecture that we received highlighting the integral role that zoos play in the realm of conservation in which we learned that the Belize zoo has been purchasing land to be utilized as wildlife corridors to once again connect wild populations that have been separated by human establishments. Members of the Belize zoo are very aware that the human population is expanding and so too is development, nonetheless they are trying their best to ensure that land exists for wildlife in the future.

The Belize Zoo’s conservation efforts were very motivating for some, including Sophie Yasuda ‘25 who stated, “my decision to apply to the course stemmed from my desire to contribute to the preservation of wild populations through a career as a wildlife veterinarian. During my time at the Belize Zoo, I was inspired not only by the quality of veterinary care provided by Cornell’s doctors, but also by the amazing care provided by the keepers at the zoo and the impact the zoo has on improving public perception of native wildlife. Overall, the experience strengthened my desire to use my veterinary degree to contribute to wildlife conservation.” Emma Fralin ‘25 was also very encouraged by the zoo’s conservation efforts and is certain that visitors receive the same inspiration. She states, “the care that the animal keeper’s exemplified for their animals was practically palpable. I am confident that this care and respect translates to every visitor of the Belize Zoo.”

International Experience in Wildlife Health and Conservation is a course unlike any other, offering an experience of a lifetime. From monitoring the anesthesia of a spider monkey to drawing blood from a white-tailed deer in the field, you really get to do it all. This trip is a must for those seeking a well-rounded veterinary education in zoological, wildlife, or conservation medicine. I think Erin Guntrum ‘25 truly encapsulates how we all felt after our experience at the Belize Zoo when she said, “I’ve always dreamed of being a zoo or wildlife veterinarian. And this trip was so special because it was really the first time that I got to live out that dream – and it really affirmed that this is what I want to do, and that this is something I can do.”

Maison Scheuer is the 2022-2023 WildLIFE Blog Editor and a proud member of Cornell ZAWS. Her passions lie at the intersection of veterinary medicine and wildlife conservation. She loves to travel and has spent time in Canada, Thailand, Alabama, Belize, and Honduras where she studied Columbian ground squirrels, elephant conservation, wildlife rehabilitation, and veterinary medicine. Though particularly interested in One Health and international medicine, she has also discovered a love for small animal medicine through her experience working as a veterinary technician at a full-service exotics and small animal private practice.

Guidance from Graduates: Dr. Ben Jakobek (DVM ‘20)

By Colleen Sorge • September 26, 2022 Uncategorized

If Dr. Benjamin Jakobek decides to write a book, I will be first in line to buy it. As he tells me about some of the projects he’s been a part of, including capturing and collaring muskox in Nunavik and working to transport caribou to a protected environment, he is a reminder to all of us aspiring veterinarians that we will one day have the capability and arguably, the responsibility, to help protect wild animals and places around the world. After obtaining his DVM from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020, Dr. Jakobek completed a one-year small animal rotating internship at the University of Prince Edward Island. Now, he is a zoological medicine resident and a master’s student at the University of Montréal focusing on free-ranging wildlife health management. Though each day’s work is different, Dr. Jakobek divides the bulk of his time between the Granby Zoo, the Aquarium of Québec, the University of Montréal’s wildlife pathology service and raptor clinic, as well as federal and provincial wildlife agencies. His current program gives him the opportunity to hone his research and his clinical skills into something he calls “the opportunity of a lifetime.” This program has allowed him to work on research projects ranging from studying toxoplasmosis in endangered beluga whales to environmental interventions against Lyme disease, among many others.

Though Dr. Jakobek knew throughout his vet school years that he hoped to work in conservation medicine, his experiences during his time as a student were varied. “One of the things I love about veterinary medicine is there’s so much to learn. I took on everything that I could that interested me. I got involved in projects where I felt like I could bring something useful to the table, even if it was just my time and my passion.” Thankfully, opportunities abound. “As a vet student it’s not hard to find really cool projects. In fact, I think at Cornell specifically there’s truly an abundance of unique opportunities.” His summer in Indonesia with Dr. Robin Radcliffe’s rhino conservation program was an impactful experience. “That reaffirmed for me the fact that I wanted to do wildlife conservation work and also be working internationally as much as possible.” From there, Dr. Jakobek continued to chase down experiences that excited him, including externships with the provincial and state wildlife departments of British Columbia and Alaska and with White Oak Conservation Center in Florida. Dr. Jakobek emphasizes pursuing a path that interests you rather than taking steps only because they feel like what you’re supposed to do. “I think that it comes down to what you make out of whichever experience you end up having.” This attitude also extended to the rotations he completed at Cornell during his clinical year. To work with exotic and wildlife species, he says, it helps to have as strong of a background you can have in “just about everything.”

According to Dr. Jakobek, his time at Cornell influenced more than just his clinical skills. “Cornell inspired me to see the incredible things that can be achieved through thoughtful research. At Cornell, I gained a lot from just talking to people. I had the opportunity to have conversations with professors there, who are people that have had an immense positive impact on our world. My connections with people at Cornell didn’t necessarily stop after I finished my studies, and my experiences there have served as a foundation for my learning and development. I strive to continue to adhere to the professional and academic excellence that I think Cornell encourages.”

Looking towards his future, Dr. Jakobek remains interested in both clinical medicine and research. He is particularly drawn to work in more remote areas of the world. “I think this appeals to me because it’s in those remote places that you find rich biodiversity and natural habitats often needing research and support for their protection.” Another highlight of his residency has been working alongside different community stakeholders to conserve habitats and safeguard wild species. He describes a particularly impactful experience transporting caribou alongside wildlife biologists, indigenous peoples, wildlife technicians, and veterinarians, all of whom wanted to ensure the survival of this particular caribou population, of which there were only seventeen individuals remaining. Of course, while his experiences during his residency have been rewarding, he is also frequently reminded of the progress still to be made. “This work [with caribou] shows how important it is to protect wildlife habitats while we still have them and value wildlife, while we have the great fortune to be able to share the planet with them.”

When asked to share some advice with current students, Dr. Jakobek was quick to emphasize our value as individuals even as we may feel compelled to devote all of our time and energy to our veterinary studies. “I would tell students not to undervalue the other things that make you who you are outside of being a vet student. Of course academic success and veterinary knowledge are crucial components of your career as a veterinarian, but I’ve found that people’s interest in me often is in some of the things that I thought were a very small part of me.” In Dr. Jakobek’s case, this includes interests in aviation, film, media, and a knack for languages. Another inestimable component of success is the ability to work well with others. “If you’re somebody that people enjoy being around, that’s not something you should take for granted. Being an honest, sociable, likable person goes a very long way, especially since wildlife medicine and conservation is often just as much about people as it is about animals.” Naturally, the field being so small means that it is also quite competitive, something Dr. Jakobek is well aware of. “You probably won’t get every opportunity that you try for. When you don’t get those opportunities it’s less likely that it was because of you, and not just a result of this field’s competitive nature. But, at the end of the day, if you know that you want to work in wildlife conservation, you know what tools you’re going to need to be effective, and you’re ready to learn and you’re ready to put yourself out there, then you finally will get the opportunity of a lifetime. And it’s hard to believe but those opportunities will then just keep coming.” Asked for some parting advice, Dr. Jakobek’s words are motivational: “I’ll tell you that when you finally get the opportunities you’ve been waiting for, make the absolute most of them and remember how important your work is for our beautiful planet.”

Colleen Sorge, Class of 2024, is a Cornell DVM student from Long Island, NY. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Animal Science from Cornell University in 2020. She has a wide range of interests within the veterinary field, including both small animal and wildlife medicine.

Guidance from Graduates: Dr. Zachary Dvornicky-Raymond (BS ’15, DVM ’19)

By Colleen Sorge • April 12, 2022 Uncategorized

For Dr. Zachary Dvornicky-Raymond, a career in conservation may have been an inevitability. An animal lover for as long as he can remember, Dr. Dvornicky-Raymond recalls watching the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet as a child and idolizing Steve Irwin. “As I grew up and was attending zoos and learning more about the world, I came to realize that all of the animals that I loved and was so interested in were disappearing. So I always knew I wanted to figure out a way to help them.” While he was certain he wanted to work in wildlife conservation as a child, he wasn’t sure how. Dr. Dvornicky-Raymond notes that he always loved the sciences, especially biology, growing up. He then decided to go to college to pursue a major in biology, knowing that he would someday apply it to conservation. Through some formative experiences in undergrad, including a heartfelt discussion with our own Dr. Abou-Madi when he was a zookeeper intern, he learned that he could merge two major interests: medicine and conservation. His hard work paid off when he got a phone call one wintry morning from Dr. Beth Bunting — he had been offered a spot in Cornell Vet’s Class of 2019. To him, this was a dream come true; he accepted.

Dr. Dvornicky-Raymond is particularly grateful for the opportunity he had to develop his interests during his eight years at Cornell. In vet school, some of his favorite courses included Conservation Medicine, Captive Wildlife Management, and a wide range of large animal and production courses. He calls these domestic animal courses “just as important for your development as a zoological veterinarian” as more overtly zoo-related courses. Dr. Dvornicky-Raymond served as Vice President of the Zoo and Wildlife Society, during which time he co-developed the WildLIFE Blog. He was also Vice President of the Theriogenology Club during his time as a student and took on opportunities to continue developing his research skills, including an Expanding Horizons project in Namibia working with the Cheetah Conservation Fund. “We’re sitting on a gold mine at Cornell,” he says of the Expanding Horizons Program. “The opportunity to go abroad as a vet student and have agency in a project and work on something completely novel to you is an experience that is completely worth it, whether or not you want to work abroad.”

Zoo/wildlife-related experiences aside, Dr. Dvornicky-Raymond also emphasizes “leaning into things that aren’t necessarily just of professional interest, but that also speak to the heart.” This spirit of exploration should also, in his opinion, inform externship decisions. “Do something that you definitely want to do and do something somewhat related to it that you’re not sure about.” For Dr. Dvornicky-Raymond, this included an externship at a traditional zoological institution, the Brookfield Zoo, and a preceptorship at White Oak Conservation Center. Through these experiences, Dr. Dvornicky-Raymond came to love population medicine and the semi-free ranging wildlife model. Faculty also play an integral role in the self-discovery process. “Ultimately people are faculty at Cornell for a reason. They want to be there and they deserve to be there. You know they worked hard to get there and they want to help. They want to nurture.” Faculty at Cornell played an integral role in helping him choose his next steps after receiving his DVM.

After graduation, Dr. Dvornicky-Raymond completed a small animal rotating internship at VCA West Los Angeles to “gain confidence and competence in my clinical skills.” He is quick to emphasize the many potential pathways to a career in conservation medicine, including internships in large animal and equine medicine. After completing his first internship, Dr. Dvornicky-Raymond went on to Colorado State University to complete a zoological medicine and surgery specialty internship, all while the pandemic was turning the veterinary community and the world at large upside down. “Learning how to extrapolate information and learning how to work in completely novel scenarios were the biggest things that I took away from that.” From there, Dr. Dvornicky-Raymond felt called to return to his love for population-based medicine, and found Fossil Rim Wildlife Center to be the ideal next destination. His current role as the David E. Wildlt Fellow in Zoological Medicine there gives him an abundance of opportunities. “This place is amazing, and being able to take all of that medicine that I learned in the past two years and now apply it in a different setting with new challenges is really personally fulfilling. And I’m starting to get a better appreciation for what it means to be a veterinarian as it relates to conservation, which is really cool.”

Dr. Dvornicky-Raymond is still charting the course he wants to follow when his time at Fossil Rim ends, but for him the uncertain, ever-evolving nature of conservation is part of what makes the work so special. While he is partial to umbrella and keystone species and is particularly drawn to his favorite animal, the tiger, he is thrilled by the countless ways to help save wild places and species. “There is so much to understand, to learn, and to try. I have the veterinary medicine part down, but that is not the end-all-be-all when it comes to saving animals. Conservation is about people. And so that’s the aspect of One Health that I haven’t spent as much time with. I’ve got a pretty good handle on one-third of it, but there’s two-thirds left and I want to be able to work with a transdisciplinary team and continue to grow. I don’t know where I’m going to be in a year and that makes me nervous, but I know where I want to be. And as long as I keep my eye on the North Star, I think it will be okay. This world is changing very rapidly and people are starting to pay attention to One Health and the health of our ecosystems, so I’m hopeful that that translates into a need. You can only remain hopeful, and I encourage you to stay hopeful.”

While the years since his graduation have been action-packed, it wasn’t long ago that Dr. Dvornicky-Raymond was in our shoes, and he is eager to share his advice for current vet students. First, keep an open mind. “Being a traditional zoo vet at a zoo is one pathway. There are so many different ways that you can have an impact on the natural world and on wildlife conservation that are not just being a zoo vet. So do not be discouraged by people that say there are no jobs in zoological medicine. Those people have a very narrow sight. They’re not thinking big enough.” The current state of the world, he says, calls for novel solutions to problems, and he believes that there is a place for everyone and their unique talents in this sphere. “Don’t feel like you have to go all-or-nothing, as long as you’re doing something. If you care about it, find some way to get involved.” For his parting advice, he’s willing to veer into sentimental territory. “Follow your heart. I know I sound like a Disney character right now. You’re going to hear a lot of naysayers and you’re going to encounter a lot of challenges, but remember that at the end of these challenges is a life of whatever you choose to do. And you have to make sure that you are fulfilled in doing that. There are ways that each person differs that will guide you to where you’re supposed to be. So follow your heart and don’t let people tell you what to do.”

Colleen Sorge, Class of 2024, is originally from Long Island, NY. She graduated with a B.S. in Animal Science and a minor in English from Cornell University. She often finds herself missing her humanities courses in vet school and is thrilled she can combine her passions for writing and for veterinary medicine as the WildLIFE Blog Editor.

Guidance from Graduates: Dr. Matt Marinkovich (DVM ‘14)

By Colleen Sorge • February 21, 2022 Uncategorized

Dr. Matt Marinkovich always had a passion for wildlife but was initially unsure as to what career path might suit him best. “I always knew I wanted to do something with wildlife or something conservation related, but it took a little while to find what that niche was, whether PhD or vet school. I had a couple experiences at SeaWorld San Diego when I was in undergrad and at the National History Museum in Santa Barbara working with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network that led me to really feel like veterinary medicine was the route to go.” After taking 3 gap years, he began his time at Cornell Vet, going on to complete his DVM in 2014.

Dr. Marinkovich is quick to acknowledge the role that Cornell played in his success, recalling formative moments like an Expanding Horizons experience with the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project and praising the faculty he worked with as a student. “You have people there who are really quality professors, but also really quality people and really good mentors. I think I learned a ton from them both from an academic standpoint and also what it means to be a good clinician.” His experiences at Cornell have largely shaped his approach to clinical practice. “There’s still a million things that I don’t know. I’m still surprised every day and challenged every day which is one of the reasons I love wildlife medicine. But in vet school you really develop that approach to cases and that approach to working with others and being part of a team.” Asked what Cornell courses he suggests, Dr. Marinkovich recommends casting a wide net. “The nice part about being a student interested in zoo or wildlife is that everything is applicable. There’s no class and no species that isn’t applicable to your potential future profession. I just tried to soak up as much as I could and be a sponge as much as I could.”

After graduation from vet school, Dr. Marinkovich completed rotating small animal and emergency and critical care specialty internships, both at the Animal Medical Center, before matching with the UC Davis San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Sea World Zoo Residency. After completing his residency in 2019, he began his current position working as a clinical veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo. The work is just as exciting as it sounds! “My dream was to end up at a place like San Diego Zoo, which has a very high-volume clinical case load. We have tons of animals and we provide very high level care to all of the wildlife in our care.” A highlight of the position, he says, is the ability to apply teamwork to particularly challenging cases, as the zoo currently has six veterinarians, a fellow, and a resident. While the medical care of the zoo’s animals takes up the bulk of his time, Dr. Marinkovich also has the opportunity to help support international conservation efforts. “The San Diego Zoo is very involved with Hawaiian forest bird conservation and we have facilities in Maui and the Big Island. I’ve been out there several times to provide medical treatment for the animals in our care out there. I went to Madagascar when I was a resident to help provide emergent medical care to tortoises from a recent confiscation.” Today his favorite cases are usually the ones that demand the most time, facilitating a personal connection. Dr. Marinkovich recalls treating a ring-tailed lemur as a resident and the fulfillment he felt nursing the individual back to health. “That’s an animal that I’ll still go and visit at the zoo years later.” On another occasion, he worked alongside radiologists and human respiratory specialists to diagnose and treat bronchomalacia in an adult male orangutan. “Cases like that where we’re alerted to a problem, we diagnose the source of the problem, and we develop novel ways to fix that problem, especially in a species that is important to us and the greater conservation world are really exciting and really valuable.”

While well aware that the field of zoological medicine is competitive, Dr. Marinkovich has a refreshing viewpoint. “I think really just focusing on becoming the best vet you can be is the number one step. I think what we look for in terms of a good resident is someone who has a really good foundation in veterinary medicine, and that involves all species. The next time you have to help pull a calf, it may be an exotic bovid rather than a dairy cow.” His perspective, he says, is largely informed by his respect for mental health. “I’m a huge proponent of mental health and being happy with what you’re doing and enjoying each step of the journey. I think you need to take each step and try to get the most out of each experience for what it is. It’s great if zoo residency or working a zoo job works out, but if not, being a vet is an awesome job and you still have that to be fulfilled by. You have to try to not let the quest for that elusive zoo resident position to be the end all and be all of what it means to be fulfilled in this field. Developing your skill sets, really focusing on your own mental health, and who you are as a vet and as a person is going to set you up for success.”

Regardless of one’s exact career trajectory, Dr. Marinkovich emphasizes the abundant opportunities to contribute to conservation and the health of wildlife species. “There are so many really interesting and fulfilling ways to be a veterinarian involved with wildlife and conservation. A lot of those opportunities may not have all been fully explored or fleshed out yet, so the sky’s the limit if you are passionate about something. I think our field will be better off because of that. There is an increasing need for people who have a skill set and a passion for the world around them and the wildlife that’s in it. It is a daunting time for people who are passionate about wildlife, but there are a lot of opportunities to find your niche and the way that you are going to make your mark.”

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

By Jared Zion • October 24, 2021 Externships, Wildlife Opportunities Outside CUCVM

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.

Change of Summer Plans: from Field Work to Virtual Teaching

By Laci Taylor • January 27, 2021 Uncategorized

Laci leading the Great Ape Team through their disaster preparedness scenario via Zoom

As an aspiring veterinarian interested in zoological medicine, I have tried my best to take advantage of all zoo and wildlife opportunities available to me. When I think about the kind of veterinary career I want to have, it is one where I can combine my interests in conservation, international travel and cultural immersion. For this reason, I am sure you can imagine my excitement when back in January, I was accepted to work at the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) in Uganda for the summer of 2020. For eight weeks this summer, I would have been assisting the JGI team with disease monitoring in habituated chimpanzee populations, transmission analysis of infectious diseases between humans and chimpanzees, and community awareness. My proposed project aimed to reduce disease transmission risk for humans and wild-habituated chimpanzees in Kibale National Park to improve public health and conserve this endangered population of chimpanzees. I was particularly excited for this opportunity because it would have been my first veterinary experience that encompassed the topic of conservation with communities. Conservation with communities is an approach to conservation that includes the local people in an effort to make the conservation initiatives more sustainable. It is a concept that I am passionate about because I believe that involving the local community in conservation initiatives helps to better sustain these initiatives.

Like many other students whose summer experiences were cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, I was devastated. Not only would I no longer get to participate in this once in a lifetime experience, but also I did not have any other summer opportunities lined up. Having traveled back home once classes went virtual, I was no longer able to work my hospital job as a student technician at the Wildlife Health Center and many local practices were not accepting new hires for safety reasons. As a result, I spent my first couple of weeks back home scrambling for summer experiences. That is, until one of my professors reached out to me about an opportunity to become a teaching assistant for his three-week virtual summer course on conservation. The course was offered through Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine for credit and geared towards high school students. This would be the first time that the course would be virtual. Something I really enjoyed throughout my undergraduate career was teaching so I happily accepted the position.In undergrad, I gained teaching experience mainly through planning and leading educational activities through the student run organizations I was a part of, but this would be different.

As a teaching assistant I had a lot of responsibilities. I was responsible for managing and organizing the course website, securing guest lecturers, managing discussion boards, creating and grading quizzes, developing course feedback surveys and providing feedback on and grading final projects among many other responsibilities. I was even responsible for creating and leading my own lectures and labs. Some of the topics I gave lectures on were the role of veterinarians in zoos, zoonotic diseases of companion animals, disease transmission at the wildlife-livestock interface and illegal wildlife trade. I was even able to integrate the concept of conservation with communities into some of my lectures!

Laci presenting her lecture on African Penguin Conservation via Panopto

One of the activities I enjoyed leading the most was on disaster preparedness in a zoo setting. I worked closely with Dr. Abou-Madi to put this activity together which tasked students with acting as a cohesive team to build the different parts of a disaster prevention plan. Following a presentation on disaster preparedness and prevention, students were divided into teams each with a different animal grouping and their job was to look at all the different aspects that are necessary to best prepare and act quickly in the midst of a tropical storm to protect the animals in their grouping. The teams were also tasked with addressing the basic medical needs of the animals they were assigned to as part of their plan. For example, one student group had Komodo dragons as their animal grouping and some of the Komodo dragons had spinal lesions caused by salmonella while others were intermittent shedders of salmonella. In order to come up with an effective disaster prevention plan, students were encouraged to consider how they would secure and care for the animals during and after the storm hits, decide where to best locate the animals, and how to distribute the animals in the selected shelter among many other considerations.

I did not quite know what I signed up for when I agreed to be a teaching assistant for the course, but I am so glad I did! Throughout my time as a teaching assistant, I gained organizational skills such as carrying out administrative tasks, and strategic planning and decision making. I also further developed my communication skills through teaching, interacting with students and through collaborating with the rest of the core course planning team. I was also able to develop critical thinking skills through coming up with creative ways to make virtual lectures and labs interactive and troubleshooting technical difficulties. Becoming a teaching assistant was a really great way to develop my soft skills and is an experience I highly recommend to other veterinary students.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laci Taylor, class of 2022, is a DVM student at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. She is interested in wildlife and aquatic medicine and hopes to make a global impact as a wildlife veterinarian. Laci hopes to promote biodiversity through rehabilitation and conservation – fields that serve as pathways for understanding many pertinent issues today from the transmission of zoonotic diseases which affect public health, to restoring endangered species.

Holy Fledgelings, Batman!

By Miranda Senft • January 25, 2021 Uncategorized

Momma robin sits on her nest at night (left), Escape is futile as a baby tries to see what’s beyond the nest (middle), Momma robin feeding her fledged bird (right)

My mother, a veterinarian with a passion for birds, is my biggest inspiration! She definitely passed on that passion to me. Growing up in suburbia there was always an injured bird that needed care, and my house during the springtime quickly became rehabber central. I remember waking up with my mom every few hours to feed the hungry birds and to rewarm the bottles. I even remember my mom trying to use puppets to feed the birds with some mild success. There are a lot of things that my mom wished our neighbors and community had known so we could have had fewer patients. I hope to share some of our baby bird tips and tricks with you here!

Despite all this snow on the ground we are already dreaming of spring—the warm weather, the green trees, and all those baby birds practicing their flying (key word: practicing). The bird life cycle has several stages: eggs, hatchlings, nestlings, fledgelings, juveniles, and adults. The hatchling and nestling stages are the equivalent of human infant and toddler stages, respectively. Fledgelings are like the tweens and teens of the bird world with juveniles encountering the quarter-life crisis. When a bird is a fledgeling, just like a teen, they start to leave the nest and to spread their wings. During springtime, these birds tend to give people a big scare. People try to help birds struggling to fly, but they don’t know exactly what to do. Sometimes people see these birds and think they’re helpless and will even take these birds in their houses to “nurse them back to health”. We all want to do what’s best for our wildlife, so here are some recommendations for what to do when you find a baby bird out of the nest.

2 hatchlings at 1-2 days old

If you see a hatchling bird out of the nest, the best thing you can do is to find the nest. If there are multiple nests in the area, find the one with babies that are closest to the hatchling in age, i.e. they look the same, and gently place the baby back in. These babies cannot survive outside of the nest on their own. The difficulty with these babies is that often the parents push them out of the nest. If this happens, there is probably a problem with the baby that we cannot see, or the parents realize they cannot care for all of the eggs. Putting them back is the best thing you can do for them at this age.

If you see a nestling bird out of the nest, these birds are more independent than the hatchlings but still cannot survive outside of the nest.

Left: nestlings sleeping (5 days old) Right: nestlings begging for food (6 days old)

So once again, find their nest and gently place them back in it. If these birds are repeatedly found outside of the nest again, it can be for a multitude of reasons including a nest that’s too small, an underlying health problem (for example, the baby may be failing to thrive), or because the baby decided to jump out and spread their wings (or lack thereof). Continuing to put them back in the nest is still the best policy here.

Fledgelings at 12 days old have developed down feathers and are nearly ready to leave

Finally, if you see a fledgeling bird, here’s what to do: these are the most common baby birds that you will find on the ground.Fledgelings (as the name implies) are trying to fledge—develop wing feathers and fly, and therefore leave the nest. The ability to fly requires good muscle strength and lots of practice, so these birds will continuously hop out of the nest and try to fly…and fall…and try again…and fall. These birds tend to spend several days on the ground before they’re able to get back up in a tree or in a nest. So, what do you do? If there are no obvious injuries and no signs of cats (or other predators) in the area, just leave them alone and let nature take its course. The parents are probably keeping an eye on them from afar and are feeding them when necessary so there is no need to provide them with any food. If there are predators around, you should try to get the baby onto a higher surface like a shrub or back into its nest, if possible. If the predator is your own outdoor pet, try bringing them inside until the birds are capable of flight.

One of the biggest misconceptions about interacting with baby birds is that once you touch a baby bird, the parents will smell you on the baby and they won’t take care of it after that. This is false as most birds don’t have a sense of smell and most parents are very happy to have their babies back in the nest. If at any point you find an injured bird (they’re actively bleeding, have an obviously broken wing, are hopping in a circle with a head tilt, etc.) you can always contact your local wildlife rehabber for assistance. So, to summarize: The cardinal rule when finding a baby bird is: when in doubt, put it back in the nest (nestlings and hatchlings) or leave it alone (fledgelings). Stay warm and get Egg-cited for spring!

About Miranda Senft

Miranda Senft is a current 3rd year veterinary student at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. She loves small animal and exotics emergency medicine and hopes to become a board-certified criticalist after graduating. She grew up with a mother who has a Master’s degree in Avian Science (and a DVM) so she has always had a passion for birds and grew up rehabbing numerous wild birds brought to the animal hospital. She currently lives in Ithaca, loves going birding, and helps out occasionally with mist netting for research projects. She has a beagle named Ralphie, a cat named Webster, and a very independent and sassy Canary-Winged Parakeet named Macaroni.

Lessons from Wolf Tracking in the Pacific Northwest

By Patrick Liu • August 26, 2020 Live Cams, Uncategorized, Wildlife Opportunities Outside CUCVM, wildlife tracking

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.

Moving Forward with Wildlife

By mrb294 • May 20, 2020 Uncategorized

I am truly fascinated by the interconnectedness of our world. One of the reasons that I am so passionate about wildlife medicine and conservation is because it spans the dimensions of human, non-human animal, and environmental wellbeing. I could spend hours avidly discussing all of the intricate connections between wildlife and human health.

The COVID-19 pandemic is no exception to the fact that everything in the world is deeply intertwined. Over the last few weeks, I’ve had conversations with my friends and colleagues about issues such as social inequality, healthcare, community, societal values, epidemiology, history, new developments, and the list goes on. These recent current events also reveal an important intersection between human and wildlife health and, in doing so, provide an impetus for us to take responsibility for the wellbeing of wildlife and the environment.

Elephants in Tanzania (Loxodonta africana)

There is a great deal of evidence that suggests that many emerging human diseases, including this current pandemic, are linked to our interactions with wildlife. The CDC estimates that 6 out of every 10 established infections and 3 out of every 4 new or emerging infections are from non-human animals. In addition to the current pandemic, past health crises, such as HIV and Ebola, were also linked to the wildlife trade. The goal of this article is not to thoroughly evaluate the evidence for that connection, but rather to discuss its consequences. If you would like to learn more about the relationship between wildlife and emerging human diseases, check out the resources at the end of this article.

If we acknowledge that potentially dangerous emerging diseases can often be linked to our interactions with wildlife, then we must ask — what do we do about it? For the most part, I hear two responses. One — support wildlife health and reduce harmful interactions between humans and other animals. Two — get rid of wildlife. You might guess that I would personally choose option one. I believe that every person has many reasons to do the same.

We rely on wildlife health more than we often acknowledge, or maybe would even like to admit. Wildlife health is imperative for healthy ecosystems and we rely on those ecosystems for life itself. Think big — oxygen, food security, water, climate stability, and more. Healthy ecosystems also provide enormous economic stimulation through massive industries such as transportation, shipping, recreation, and many more. We continue to uncover potential medications from areas that have persistent biodiversity, such as alternatives to opioids and possible new sources of antibiotics. We need healthy ecosystems all over the world to support and enable us to continue living on this planet. Unfortunately, those ecosystems and the inhabiting wildlife species are threatened from many directions.

Lemon shark off of South Caicos, Turks & Caicos Islands (Negaprion brevirostris)

Species that once had the space to exist without interacting with humans are now forced into contact with human communities after their habitats are continuously destroyed and fragmented. Climate change leads to shifting geographic ranges leading to species appearing in new locations around people that have never been exposed to them before. Many species become endangered or extinct every year, all representing possible losses for unforeseen discoveries. Devastating abuse is committed against animals through the wildlife trade all across the world. Those wildlife trade markets also pose a major risk to human health by exposing a wide variety of stressed, immunocompromised animals to each other and humans in tight quarters, sometimes being ingested and in other cases begin transported all across the world. The more we push these animals to the brink, the more at risk we become — to disease, climate instability, food insecurity, loss of biodiversity, and more.

I have good news though. Every single person has the potential to be a conservationist. That means you. Each one of us has our own unique set of perspectives and skills that can be wielded to improve the state of wildlife and ecosystem health, and therefore environmental and human wellbeing across the world. The most important thing to know is that we all have something to offer.

New Zealand fur seal on the South Island of New Zealand (Arctocephalus forsteri)

If you have training, consider how you might apply that knowledge to offer a new solution. Successful communication takes on infinite forms — use your method to spread awareness, organize, and build ideas together. We can communicate through visual art, music, words, writing, and so on. Find your strength and implement it. Be mindful of what you consume and purchase. Turn off your lights. If you are coming from a place of privilege, acknowledge that with a sensitive awareness and use it to make the world a better place for humans and so many other species.

No action is ‘small’. Taking action is a big and mighty step to take, no matter the scale. When you take action, you become a conservationist.

This crisis has exposed just how reliant we are on mutual compassion and consideration for other beings sharing our communities and our planet. By taking action on issues we care about, we can nourish that feeling of unity and respect. We need to nurture a culture of compassion that acknowledges the interconnectedness of all facets of our globe and daily lives. No matter how you decide to contribute to positive change in this world, you should know that it is all deeply and inevitably intertwined. An improvement on one problem supports change for another in direct and indirect ways.

Moose in Alaska (Alces alces)

While you are thinking about how you can contribute to this global kindness, don’t forget to be kind to yourself. Sometimes the constant drive to make a difference can be confusing, complicated, and filled with uncertainty. Sometimes we can inadvertently put large amounts of stress on ourselves or our relationships. Give yourself the space to constantly learn and evolve. Remember — no one is perfect and no one can do everything. We all must work together. While you are being kind to the planet and all of the creatures living on it, always remember to be kind to yourself and those around you.

I hope we learn from the solidarity that has been conjured by this pandemic. I hope we harness it for empowerment, triggering a cascade of positive actions that can change our world for the better. In my experience, taking action for the things that are important to me has been empowering. That empowerment can be a brilliant source of invigorating positive energy, particularly in times when we feel utterly powerless. When we emerge from this crisis, I hope that we can continue to unite and pursue empowerment by taking action for positive change. Let’s change the way we see and engage with each other, our world, and the other animals living within it.

Thank you for your time and thoughts. I sincerely wish health and safety to everyone reading this. I have many resources saved regarding all of the issues mentioned in this short article and I would love to share them with you if you are interested!

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Resources to learn more:

A recent, short Scientific American interview about COVID-19, the wildlife trade, and human disease: https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/covid-19-the-wildlife-trade-and-human-disease/

A CDC page explaining zoonotic disease: https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/zoonotic-diseases.html.

Karesh et al. Wildlife Trade and Global Disease Emergence. Emerging Infectious Diseases; 11 (7) 2005.

Mariah Rayfield Beck, class of 2020, will be starting a small animal rotating internship at Ocean State Veterinary Specialists in Rhode Island this summer. After that, she plans to specialize in wildlife and conservation medicine. She is also an educator that teaches about marine conservation in classes, workshops, and summer camps.

Tag Archives: wildlife health