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Cornell University

Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center
for Wildlife Health

Blog

Blogs from the Field

A healthy future for wildlife, people, and planet.

Ava kneels next to a sedated lion lying on the ground at night. The lion’s face is partially covered with a cloth, and Ava is holding a bag of medical supplies, smiling at the camera. A vehicle is visible in the background.
Wild Carnivores The Student Experience
Namibia
DNA Samples
Lion
Veterinary Student
Fieldwork
Free-ranging Wildlife Conservation
University of Namibia
Expanding Horizons
Community Livelihoods
hyena
Skeleton Coast
Brown Hyena Project
Carnivore
Wild Carnivores
Carnivore Populations
Data
jackals
Lead
Etosha National Park
Etosha Ecological Institute
Elephant
Poaching
Black Rhino
wildebeest
dehorning
Applied Research
Human-Wildlife Conflict

From Books to the Bush: How Namibia Transformed My Veterinary Education

October 02, 2025
It’s 3 a.m. in the Namibian bush. A team of us circles around a sedated lion to take DNA samples while two other male lions lurk nearby. We haven’t gotten an ounce of sleep, and I haven’t had a hot meal in a week, but I've never felt more alive than at this moment....
Student wearing a lab coat working in the lab
Zoological Medicine The Student Experience
Elephant
Applied Research
Wildlife
Conservation
Asian Elephant
Coagulation
hetastarch
hemorrhagic crisis
Zoological Medicine
elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus
EEHV
Virus
Wildlife Pathology
Infectious Disease
EEHV-HD
Animal Health Diagnostic Center
Comparative Coagulation Lab
Rosamond Gifford Zoo
Collaboration
Wildlife Medicine

Research Aimed at Addressing an Elephantine Crisis

June 18, 2025
As a veterinary student interested in specializing in zoological medicine, I had the privilege of conducting research focused on investigating the effects of hetastarch on coagulation in Asian elephants...