Wildlife Veterinary
Annegret Haldiman
What is a wildlife veterinarian?
It depends on who you ask. There are many ways for a veterinarian to work with wildlife, including wildlife rehabilitation, zoo/wildlife/exotic species medicine, and free-ranging wildlife veterinary medicine, also called conservation medicine. In general, wildlife rehabilitators and zoo/wildlife/exotic species veterinarians focus on clinical medicine and the health of individual animals. Free-ranging wildlife veterinarians focus on the health of wildlife populations and ecosystem health.
Free-ranging wildlife veterinarians most often work for federal, state, or tribal fish and wildlife agencies (FWAs), or non-government organizations. Working closely with wildlife biologists, the job of a free-ranging wildlife veterinarian is to provide technical expertise to the agency, to conserve and manage fish and wildlife populations, and help recover endangered species.
There is more than one way to become a free-ranging wildlife veterinarian, but all paths start with completing an undergraduate degree first then applying to vet school, although there are other routes for pursuing this career.
Once accepted, many veterinary schools now offer education tracks, certificates, and other programs in wildlife medicine, one health, conservation medicine, and public health. Researching which programs are offered at different veterinary schools is a great way to ensure that you learn all you can during vet school.
Many wildlife health specialists working for state or federal agencies are not veterinarians but have specialized training in wildlife ecology with a focus on wildlife diseases, parasitology, or a related field. Going this route has several advantages including possibly reducing your education time and reducing student loans, which are sizeable for vet school.
Most free-ranging wildlife veterinarians working for state and federal wildlife agencies have a graduate degree in wildlife ecology or a related field. Not only does this form a good foundation in conservation and ecosystem health, but the degree may also help with job offers. Often the person hiring a wildlife veterinarian has a degree in wildlife ecology and may be inclined to hire a veterinarian who is also fellow wildlife biologist.
Completing vet school before your graduate degree has many advantages. With your veterinary degree, you would have a strong application and be better able to pick and choose graduate programs, especially those with a wildlife disease component. You could also supplement your income by practicing veterinary medicine part-time while in graduate school. Also, as you near completion of your graduate program, you would be able to apply for wildlife veterinary positions and potentially finish your graduate degree while employed.
The Introduction to Wildlife Veterinary Medicine and Conservation Online Certificate provides a comprehensive overview of the latest trends and issues in the field of wildlife medicine and rehabilitation.
Taught by two of the top active wildlife veterinarians within the field, this 15-week online certificate program provides an inside look at the day-to-day operations of those who are on the front lines of wildlife conservation within their communities.
Dr. Alejandro Morales, adjunct faculty at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, is the wildlife veterinarian and assistant director of ARCAS in Petn, Guatemala. ARCAS is a non-profit Guatemalan NGO that aims to improve the chances of survival and conservation of endangered species and their habitat, as well as to assist in the national management of natural resources.
Dr. Alejandro Morales received his DVM from San Carlos University in Guatemala and an MSc in One Health from Ross University. He started in conservation and education with the Natural History Museum and was the volunteer program coordinator for the largest non-government zoo in Guatemala City. He is field veterinarian for Jaguar home range research program and developed a mangrove ecosystem-monitoring handbook for a protected area in south Guatemala.
Dr. Morales has been a keynote speaker in national and international wildlife medicine and rehabilitation events, and has been a lecturer at six international workshops for rescue and rehabilitation centers.
Dr. Isabelle Paquet-Durand is the co-founder, director and wildlife veterinarian at the Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic (BWRC) and has worked in international wildlife medicine for over 25 years. Dr. Isabelle received her DVM and PhD from Hanover, Germany with doctoral research at Heredia Vet School, Costa Rica. Dr. Isabelle is also a certified Wildlife Rehabilitator.
Since 2005 she has been an educator teaching veterinary courses for several US and international universities and study abroad companies. She is a wildlife consultant for government and NGOs nationally and internationally. Dr. Isabelle is the field veterinarian for the Scarlet Macaw Protection program, and the veterinarian for the national breeding program for Hickatee (Dermatemmys mawii). Her research foci start with parasitology and public health and span species ranging from crocodiles to tamanduas and she is passionate about conservation and coexistence.
Aside volunteer positions on the Belize Surgeon's Board, Veterinary Association of Belize and the Commonwealth Veterinary Association, she was a director on the Board for Friends for Conservation and Development for 7 years and remains an avid supporter. Dr. Isabelle has given invited lectures at several universities and conferences, and hosted workshops and conferences as well as annual Continuing Education for Belizean veterinarians and wildlife partners since 2007. She was recognized for her efforts by Inspiration in Action award, Femme de Terre, Marlys Bulander award as well as the Colin S Burrows award as the Latin American Scholar at the 2019 VMX.
BWRC provides veterinary care, rescue assistance, relocation and rehabilitation as well as education and training in support of the governmental wildlife program and around 10 different partner per year.
The core mission of the BWRC remains to support wildlife conservation with veterinary care, research and education with an increasing focus on education increased due to the fact that 80% of wildlife intakes originate because of preventable human intervention (traffic and conflict).
ARCAS was founded in 1989 in order to help combat the illegal wildlife trade in the Petn region. Its first act was to establish the Wild Animal Rescue Center, a direct response to the fact that although the Guatemalan government was beginning to comply with the CITES treaty by confiscating trafficked wildlife, there was no adequate facility to treat and rehabilitate these animals.
The program will consist of a series of pre-recorded online lectures, live online labs, and live online discussions on various aspects of wildlife conservation and rehabilitation veterinary medicine totaling 30 hours. Participants will also have the opportunity to access video footage of wildlife releases, surgery recovery updates, and enclosure transitions. Participants in this certificate will be required to choose an internationally relevant wildlife topic of interest to research and present the information in a 5-minute video at the end of the program.
The pre-recorded lectures provide the opportunity for participants to work at their own pace throughout the certificate program. It is expected that participants write down any questions they might have and ask instructors over email. There are 12 pre-recorded lectures totaling 12 hours.
There are a total of 5 hours of live online discussions during which instructors present on relevant topics within wildlife conservation and rehabilitation medicine. These online discussions allow participants to ask questions and engage with instructors via live discussion. These take place on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. (EST).
The live online labs provide an opportunity for participants to gain exposure to cases that our instructors see in the field. There are a total of 6 hours of live online labs, with another 4 hours of pre-recorded surgeries or wildlife releases; totaling 10 hours. These labs consist of necropsies, bone puzzles, as well as an inside look into the rehabilitation process. These take place on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. (EST).
Since our instructors are practitioners within the field, they are continually encountering new cases and finding innovative ways to solve them. You have the opportunity to see of them in action, as they upload content on their day-to-day operations as well as updates on recoveries for some of their patients in their respective clinics.
Our wildlife treatment crew is part of our zoological medicine service and provides medical treatment and care for injured wildlife. While we do allow members of the community to bring us hurt wildlife for care, we DO NOT accept uninjured animals. If you come across a baby animal that you feel has simply been abandoned, it is best to leave them where you found them.
Determining whether an animal needs your help depends on age, species and behavior. Babies of some species are left alone all day and rely on camouflage for protection, while others are tightly supervised by their parent(s).
If you find an injured animal, it is best to wear gloves and cover it with a towel before picking it up. Transport it by placing it in a covered, ventilated cardboard box. Be sure to call (706) 542-3221 before bringing any animal to the hospital.
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