Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more information see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

Recently, several birds at the Wild Animal Park’s Lorikeet Landing Enclosure died or fell ill, making it necessary for the entire group of animals to be housed and treated in a safe and controlled environment. Luckily, there is just such a place on Park grounds: the Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center (HVMC).

As we observed the recovering lorikeet population at HVMC, Veterinary Resident Dr. Deena Brenner explained to us some of the many important jobs of a zoo veterinarian. A sort of “jack-of-all-trades,” a zoo veterinarian must have expertise in many areas of veterinary medicine. Animals at HVMC are there for a broad variety of reasons. They may be ill, injured, or have just arrived from another zoo and simply need to be observed in quarantine before they can call the main Park campus home. In the case of the lorikeets, the Park veterinarians first checked the birds for signs of West Nile Virus and other avian illnesses. After finding the animals healthy, the doctors were able to move to looking for harmful toxins in the lorikeet enclosure. Whatever the reason an animal needs to be hospitalized, the veterinarians are prepared to treat that animal and return it to a healthy state as soon as possible.

Aside from protecting the Wild Animal Park’s “Animal Ambassadors” that teach the public about species and habitat preservation, the veterinarians at the Park are also involved in several other aspects of conservation. Some veterinarians travel to far off destinations where they participate with the conservation of species in the wild (see blog, In Search of the Black-footed Cat). More commonly, however, an exotic animal veterinarian is involved in procedures such as artificial insemination and other methods of improving chances of fertilization for increasing the populations of endangered animals. The doctors will also oversee the transfer of animals between zoo facilities, and monitor animals during their pregnancies. Additionally, veterinarians work to prevent breeding between certain individuals of a species through the use of contraceptives. It is important to pay close attention to which individuals of an endangered species reproduce in order to maintain genetic variability. By aiding in the breeding process as well as working as advisors for Species Survival Plans (SSPs), zoo veterinarians are instrumental in the preservation of many endangered species.

Veronica - Conservation Team

Animal Trainers: Undercover Conservationists

So your housecat likes to scratch the furniture, jump onto tables, and occasionally sticks a paw in the fish tank, but did you know that African servals like to do similar things? However, with the longest legs and largest ears in proportion to body size of any feline, a serval doesn’t look like your average housecat. Although servals aren’t endangered, they are considered to be at risk, unlike the familiar family feline.

At the Hunte Amphitheater at the San Diego Zoo, the trainers who work at the animal shows have two goals: allowing the public to make connections with animals while also appreciating their wildness. Susan Patch of the Behavior Operations Department works with animals in front of an audience in addition to caring for them off stage. Some members of Hunte Amphitheater, such as clouded leopards and cheetahs, are highly endangered. By including individuals of these threatened species in the show, the San Diego Zoo gives guests the opportunity to learn about them on a more personal level.

Ms. Patch gave the Zoo InternQuest team our own private show, which included two African serval brothers that began their training as babies. The trainers at Hunte teach animals to demonstrate their natural behaviors, such as jumping and scratching, before an audience. While the audience enjoys the spectacle, they are also learning about an animal’s natural tendencies.

Ms. Patch explained that the animals seen at Hunte act as ambassadors for their species. If people can realize similarities between animals they love and animals that they would never see except at the Zoo, they will begin to understand the importance of protecting these unique animals. Ms. Patch herself was inspired to pursue her career after seeing an animal trainer at the Zoo. Perhaps, after seeing Ms. Patch’s show, guests will also be motivated to aid in conservation efforts.

Jane – Conservation Team

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