AAZV Conference & Wild Animal Health
By Sydney Kirk, PR and Fundraising Associate, on October 12, 2023
Last month I was a foot away from a clouded leopard and met the most brilliant minds I have ever had the pleasure of coming across.
The Wild Animal Health Fund is a program of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians, AAZV for short. I was excited when it came time for our annual conference. It was a great experience putting faces to names that I heard so much about. One thing that stood out is everyone’s passion and knowledge in their respective specialties at the AAZV conference. From knowing the ins and outs of elephant anesthesia to reptile behavior—the zoo and wildlife veterinarians knew it all. Yet, they were extremely humble and personable.
There, I met some incredible people who carry out the work the Wild Animal Health Fund supports. They are the driven individuals active in the field running diagnostics, examining tissues, and monitoring animal health. The Wild Animal Health Fund provides a solution to help wild animal health issues and expand veterinarians knowledge. Each year, the Wild Animal Health Fund gives grants to zoo and wildlife research projects to understand more about the species we all love. This year we funded 16 projects in hopes of giving better health to zoo animals and wildlife.
One resounding message that stood out was:
There’s still so much to learn about species health.
Despite popular opinion, we don’t know much about the animals we share Planet Earth with. Little, or nothing at all, is known about zoo and wildlife diseases and treatment. Even less is published to share among colleagues. The Wild Animal Health Fund aims to solve this issue.
The zoo and wildlife veterinarians I met understood how critical research is. After all, they are the individuals caring for these animals in their day-to-day lives.
Silent Auction and Surprises at AAZV Conference
Tuesday, September 19th, was our traditional Zoo Day. Zoo and wildlife veterinarians from all walks of life were able to take a break and enjoy the animals and tour the behind-the-scenes habitats, including the Nashville Zoo Animal Hospital. Learning about how another facility manages and cares for its collection is part of the educational experience at Conference. silent and live auctions in support of the Wild Animal Health Fund were a huge success. Each item was donated by conference attendees.
Something we didn’t expect were karaoke challenges. Zoo vets were challenged by their respective directors to sing—for a donation to support wild animal health research. Everyone did it with a smile and lots of laughter.
Over $25,000 was raised that night to support future projects by the Wild Animal Health Fund. Every dollar will go toward helping wild animals and learning more about the species we share this planet with.
How can I help zoo animals and wildlife?
The success of Zoo Day at the AAZV conference highlights how important zoo and wildlife wellbeing is. The people who care for these animals are dedicated, passionate, and driven; and they need more animal advocates to stand with them to solve the missing piece of the conservation puzzle: wild animal health.
We have a plethora of information to uncover as veterinarians aim to solve species’ health issues. The Wild Animal Health Fund has given 138 grants in 11 years. This has helped wildlife all around the globe. However, 422 projects are still left on the table. Zoo and wildlife veterinarians are in it for the animals; we should be too. It’s our duty to help the wild animals that also call Planet Earth home.