STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Submitted by Katherine Ramirez Lopez, Western University of Health Sciences

A Zoo-tastic Summer

In the summer of 2023, I had the opportunity to travel across the country to participate in a research externship at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. I was so excited when I was accepted to this externship because there aren’t many zoo medicine opportunities available for vet students prior to their clinical year let alone ones dealing with zoo related research. As someone who is committed to pursuing the zoo medicine field and eventually becoming board certified, I knew experiences like these didn’t come around often and should be taken advantage of. To top it off, this was my first time traveling for a veterinary opportunity outside of my sunny state of  California and I was both nervous and thrilled for how the next 8 weeks in a new city would look like. 

My first week at my externship was incredible as I started to become familiar with all the zoo animals and the friendly and welcoming staff. As someone who is very family and friends oriented I was nervous that I would feel lonely in a big and strange city. But the zoo hospital staff knew how to make someone feel comfortable and part of the team! For the first couple of weeks I worked closely with the head and associate zoo vets discussing the layout of the research project which involved conducting a retrospective analysis of African Penguin chick  mortality in populations under human care. This meant collecting and analyzing  medical records of African penguin chicks who passed away in the last 12 years across various AZA accredited zoos and aquariums. Not only did I get first hand experience in seeing what a cross institutional study looked like but I learned alot about ex situ conservation and the integral role it plays in preserving species across the world. With much mentorship from the vets, I was able to conduct a research project from start to finish by presenting the preliminary data to the Maryland Zoo African Penguin Care team and hospital staff during my last week. With the project bringing to light essential base knowledge about African penguin chick mortality, publication of  the research is currently in progress. 

One additional bonus to this externship was that I had the opportunity to shadow several clinical procedures and conservation programs that the Maryland Zoo Hospital oversaw. I got to experience several first from seeing my first primate exam to helping track eastern box turtles across the forest terrain of the zoo. One of the highlights was watching an  African elephant mobility exam and seeing the interaction between the giant gentle creature and its supportive zookeeper via behavioral husbandry. Behavioral husbandry is a component of daily animal care focused on how animals interact with their physical and social environment. As a result, we see beneficial behaviors such as an animal voluntarily participating in a blood draw which facilitates veterinary care and lessens stress on the animal. Getting to see so many different procedures and listen to the vets collaborate on cases definitely reaffirmed my passion for zoo med!

This trip couldn’t be complete without some sight seeing and I was so fortunate to not only explore the vibrant city of Baltimore but New York as well. Getting to walk around the inner harbor of Baltimore was scenic and I even had the opportunity to check out the National Aquarium! While in New York I had to stop and some iconic places such as the Grand Central Station, Central Park, and Times Square! Never had I imagined that I would be able to see these amazing places.

Overall, this experience was definitely one for the books and I can’t wait to partake in more zoo related opportunities and explore more cities.