Blog - Wild Animal Health Fund

Among the 14 research projects the Wild Animal Health Fund approved and funded in 2021 is Dr. James Watuwa’s study on stress levels in African Elephants. Dr. Watuwa is a wildlife and zoo veterinarian with Uganda wildlife conservation education center (Entebbe zoo)as well as a co-founder of the Endangered Wildlife Conservation Organization(EWCO). Based in Murchison Falls,…

Rhino surgeon in the morning, snake healer by evening! Follow along as we keep up with National Geographic featured Dr. JB Minter. Dr. Minter is the Director of Animal Health and veterinarian at the North Carolina Zoo in Ashboro, NC. 8:15 am– Morning rounds with staff to talk about the active cases at the Zoo…

Dr. Kyle Donnelly is a zoo veterinarian at the Brevard Zoo and Sea Turtle Healing Center in Melbourne, Fl. Conservation and ice cream? Behind the scenes of your local zoo amazing things are happening. For the general public, a day at the zoo might mean eating ice cream while watching the penguins. The more perceptive…

Remember the “got your nose” trick as a child? I’m not sure about you, but I always fell for it. That’s part of being a kid though, believing what you see and taking everything as it is. Kids are special in that way, and magic is still real. I think the zoo is the best…

As a kid, I would have told you quite proudly that I was going to be an “animal saver.” My mom stopped pressing me about it after the 1000th lizard I rescued (by rescuing I mean bringing into the house as my new pet). Flash forward 20 years and while I’m not technically an “animal…

According to the National Invasive Species Center, an invasive species is any living organism (or microbe for you science people) that enters a foreign ecosystem. The introduction of invasive species is also considered likely to cause economic, environmental, or human harm. How do they spread? Invasive species can be spread in many ways, with most…

I believe in science, I believe in truth. Hello, I’m Jon Rossi. I’m a touring drummer with the love for all things. Again, when I’m on the road, I spend as much time as possible. Visiting zoos, aquariums, rescues, and rehab facilities. Now I want to share those places with you. I’ll be talking to…

Everyone loves going to the zoo! You can see incredible animals up close and support them at the same time. Did you know there’s more than the animals and soft pretzels? Keep reading to find out what’s going on behind the curtains for our favorite animals. Conservation Zoos that are accredited by the Association of…

Feeling helpless when it comes to helping endangered animals? Here are 10 easy ways to help: Visit a national park, wildlife refuge, or protected area. These areas provide habitat for hundreds of threatened species! Reduce, reuse, recycle! Recycling and reducing your waste helps our planet and all those who live on it. Don’t purchase items…

Did you know some of the most powerful voices in zoo animal and wildlife research have been women? Several of these women paved the way during a time when women weren’t in conservation. You can thank these women for the protection of species like: cheetahs, gorillas, rhinos, sharks, orangutans, elephants, chimpanzees, and so many more.…

Today, three out of the five rhino species is considered Critically Endangered, or is facing extinction. The biggest threat is poachers killing the 5,000 pound creatures for their horns. A large percentage of this poaching has taken place in South Africa, home to most rhino species in the world. Their horns are used most often…

Different types of conservation Did you know that there’s a name for the different types of conservation? Latin for “in” and “out” of place, in situ and ex situ describes the location for wildlife. In situ refers to the animal’s original home and ex situ describes conservation in which the animal has been moved. Each…

Did you know that when you visit an aquarium, the animals you see have special doctors on staff? These doctors make sure the aquatic animals receive the proper care, husbandry, diagnosis and treatments in order to live long and healthy lives. They are called aquarium veterinarians. Aquatic animals are no exception and require completely different…

Why is fundraising so important for the animals? Simply put, because we can’t afford to lose sight of the need for research for them, too. During this uncertain time of COVID, the rapidly changing environment, conflicts near and far, and other catastrophes – natural and created by humans, Wild Animal Health Fund knows one thing for absolute certain, the animals STILL need…

The Wild Animal Health Fund (WAHF) is not your average conservation program. In fact, there are not other conservation programs like us on the planet. The Wild Animal Health Fund, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, is a program of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV). WAHF is solely focused on funding humane health studies for zoo…

One funded project can help several species but what is the impact? Each Wild Animal Health Fund project must share the results through refereed scientific journals and lectures at conferences with scientists from all over the world. The beneficial insight from the shared knowledge then goes into action for the animals’ care whether the animal…

Zoo and Wildlife Animals

For all you Zoo Lovers! Don’t fret! We have you covered! Can’t get out to visit the zoo? Visit a zoo virtually then! Sadly, our world is still in lock down because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Zoos, conservation facilities and sanctuaries all over the world have temporarily closed their doors to the public as well…