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Blogs from the Field

A healthy future for wildlife, people, and planet.

A brow pelican that was found entangled in a fishing line. Photo: Emma McGuckin

I have always been passionate about wildlife conservation and have been pursuing that career path throughout my veterinary studies. I have used most of my school breaks to go abroad and gain clinical experiences working with a variety of endangered species (notably in South Africa, Costa Rica and my most recent trip to Namibia)....
Second-year veterinary resident, Dr. Catherine Bartholf, performing an ultrasound on a snow leopard.  Photo: Alexander Levitskiy

Many have watched episodes of the Animal Planet docuseries “The Zoo,” getting a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the phenomenal conservation, science, and education agenda that is carried out at the Bronx Zoo. As someone interested in zoological medicine, I had always dreamt of training with the Bronx Zoo Zoological Health Program.... 
Christian Mazariegos placing a tail guard to prevent damage to the tail feathers on a red-tailed hawk anesthetized for radiographs.

Santa Barbara is widely regarded as one of the most breathtaking coastal cities within the state of California. Home to perfect weather, beautiful beaches, five-star restaurants, and lively bars, it’s pretty safe to assume that I had a “wild” time and partied it up in this amazing city during the ten weeks I spent living there. Well, not exactly. Instead, I had a “wild” time treating wildlife at the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network (SBWCN) as a veterinary extern....
Adam Frosolone in the field.

This summer, I embarked on an unforgettable journey into the heart of aquatic veterinary medicine with Dr. Tim Miller-Morgan at the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) in Newport, Oregon. The center is Oregon State University’s coastal campus, also serving as a marine science laboratory and an oceanographic research base for six state and federal agencies....
Wild snake capture and field sampling. Photo: Hannah Danks

I had the opportunity to spend this past summer as a wildlife population health extern at the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS). SCWDS is a collaborative wildlife health partnership based at the University of Georgia (UGA)....
A whale calf’s entangled flipper and how tightly wrapped the line is.

For my last summer before clinical rotations, I wanted to gain experience with marine animals. I was accepted as an intern with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Marine Mammal Rescue & Research (MMRR) program in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a unique geographical area where tides and coastlines can suddenly trap a dolphin or whale in inches of water....
Georgia Aquarium Animal Health Team

I started veterinary school with the goal of working with stingrays, dolphins, and fish. Now, four years later, I can say I have worked at some of the top aquariums and other aquatic facilities in the country and connected with colleagues who are leading this field.