by Jennifer Trandell
What is a Wildlife Veterinarian?
There are many types of veterinarians, including your local pet vet or zoo vets working with captive wildlife, but wildlife veterinarians specialize with free ranging wildlife with an emphasis on native species. This can be in a wildlife rehabilitation facility or out in the field managing populations of a region.
Dr. Sara Wyckoff is one of 2 wildlife veterinarians for the state of Texas with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Her area of expertise is working with all species of big, small and non game wildlife throughout the entire state from bighorn sheep and mountain lions to bats in caves, waterfowl and alligators in swamps. Her stated most important role is disease surveillance and management. She collaborates with other agencies like the Texas Animal Health Commission or Animal Control to monitor and assess outbreaks in the wild, as well as diseases in agricultural animals that may spread beyond the barnyard. The interagency coordination can include universities doing research with wildlife and working alongside private landowners. All sources of wildlife surveillance will lead to the creation of regulations, policy development, veterinarian guidance, training and outreach to support and increase healthy wildlife populations.
Additionally, wildlife veterinarians work alongside biologists out in the field. In East Texas, for example, Dr. Wyckoff assisted in attaching transmitters to non sedated alligators to discover where they go during the winter or where females have their dens. Currently, scientists are uncertain of the winter behavior of the East Texas alligator.
How to become a Wildlife Veterinarian?
As a highly competitive field, a potential candidate must have a Bachelor’s degree, Veterinary School, internships specializing in wildlife & Volunteer experience with wildlife including free ranging experience, a Masters &/or PhD with a wildlife residency.
Why do we need Wildlife Veterinarians?
Dr. Sara Wyckoff concluded her illuminating talk with the importance of ecosystem and disease management. The environment is always changing, especially in a global world where people, plants, and animals can travel around the globe in 24 hours. The need for continued surveillance is necessary to preserve healthy wildlife and populations for future generations.