Free Post: The Elephant Sanctuary

"A natural refuge where sick, old and needy elephants can once again walk the earth in peace and dignity."

      The Elephant Sanctuary, in Hohenwald Tennessee, is a designed to  care and nurture old elephants from zoos and circuses. This non-profit organization meets the needs of endangered elephants while also letting them live their lives as normal as possible. Instead of having the elephants in cages, they have "people fences", which keep visitors out instead of the elephants being trapped in. The missions of The Elephant Sanctuary are to provide and care for old and sick elephants with the luxury of green fields, and heated barns in the winter, and to provide education to the public on how important it is to save this endangered species. 

     However, because this sanctuary is a "true sanctuary,” it is not open to the public. The Elephant Sanctuary organization believes that because these elephants have spent their entire lives in cages being observed by the public eye, that once they come here they should not be disturbed, except for those employed which care to the needs of this animal. 

     The Elephant Sanctuary Organization uses its website and video blog to send information to the public about its mission to help animals and exactly what they're are doing inside the 2700 acres. The website contains live streaming videos that people can watch in order to keep track of the elephants. Their website also makes readers feel connected with each elephant by using pictures and by sharing each elephant’s story. 

     I can personally connect with what this organization is trying to accomplish because elephants are my favorite animal and I don't want them to become extinct. Elephants are such gentle creatures and it's upsetting to hear about them being poached and killed off for any reason. One day i hope to get the chance to visit or work at a place with elephants. I also like that this organization isn't meant for showcasing elephants. I like that it is closed to the public so they can live in peace.  

   

References

"The Elephant Sanctuary : Hohenwald Tennessee." The Elephant Sanctuary : Hohenwald Tennessee. United States Department of Agriculture, 2013. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.

Free Post: Ainslie Campbell's Wildlife Adventures

   

        This video interests me because it shows the opinion of someone who is actually on the trip and shows unprofessional taken pictures of her. I learned that as a wildlife veterinarian, first you see a hurt animal and then, because after all the animal is wild, you use darts which make the animal unconscious so vets can help them. From this video and website I see the precautions wildlife veterinarians take because not all animals are willing to be as friendly as some organizations would like people to believe. However, I one day would like to work for an organization that helps animals, and not volunteer or pay to go on trips like these. 

    Ainslie Campbell, a wildlife veterinarian, promotes an organization called "Wildlife Vet Adventures." This organization gives vet students and recent graduates an opportunity to experience first hand what a wildlife veterinarian does. They treat animals that look hurt, injured or sick, and help them to recover. This program not only is a great learning opportunity but also gives veterinarians experience.  People like Ainslie Campbell who are on this expedition post videos on YouTube to get the word out to other students and recent graduates about their own time and the experience they could have. This program also has its own website. The website gives dates and photos and program information for anyone that is interested in joining. 

References

Wildlife Vet Adventures. Prod. S. Botha. Perf. Ainslie Campbell. Wildlife Vet Adventures, 2013. YouTube. 

Free Post: Gorilla Doctors

   While doing some research on the internet, I stumbled across an article about a group of veterinarians who call themselves The Gorilla Doctors. The Gorilla Doctors is an organization dedicated in saving the mountain gorilla species. According to the website, there is only around 800 mountain gorillas left in the entire world, and more are dying from diseases and other health problems every day. This group of international veterinarians are traveling to different countries around the world to help save this species. They go by the motto "Saving a species, one gorilla at a time." 

           The Gorilla Doctors have a website, www.gorilladoctors.org, where people can view pictures and read stories of the gorillas these vets have saved. They also have a section where they talk about who they are and what their mission is. They use the media, as in Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc., to deliver their story to the world. The style of writing they use on their website relates to readers and makes them care about the gorillas that this company is working so hard to save. There is even an option to donate to the organization to help them continue saving these animals. The Gorilla Doctors have news clips and offer special trips for people to go visit these gorillas as well.
       Because of this organization, the mountain gorilla population is growing and the gorillas are getting friendlier with human interaction. The work that The Gorilla Doctors are participating in is the kind of work I want to do once I get my degree. I want to be able to interact with and care for animals similarly to the way this organization does. 

References:

"Gorilla Doctors - Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project - Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project." Gorilla Doctors - Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project - Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project. Gorilla Doctors, 22 Jan. 2014. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.

Week #2 Prompt: Comparing Wildlife Medicine Writing

Every piece of writing can be delivered in a different way, especially in the Veterinary Medical Field. Elliot Garber is a Veterinarian for Wildlife with an internet blog. His blog contains opportunities for other vet students or doctors to get the chance to experience. Also, the purpose for his blog is to make people more aware of this profession and to give advise to those who are looking into Wildlife Medicine as well. The delivery he uses for his blog affects the reader/writer relationship in a positive way by using pictures of places and animals he has gotten to work with. Also he  blogs about interviews with other veterinarians and his journey into becoming one himself. This style makes the blog not only more interesting, but also more relatable to the readers because they can connect his life experiences with similarities of their own, which leads to a broader audience. Even people who are not interested in becoming a veterinarian can find something on this blog to look or read about. 

On the other hand, a more scientific approach used to get information out into the world is a scientific journal. The Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine published by the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians talks about wildlife health and conservation of endangered species. The American Association of Zoo Veterinarians uses a scientific and scholarly styled writing. This article does not use pictures or tell stories; however it’s simple, plain delivery demonstrates that it is full of information. This delivery method will affect the reader/writer relationship in a positive way because it suggest a more specific audience which is genuinely interested in Wildlife Medicine. Although the readers may not be able to relate as well, this delivery method is more organized and the readers know exactly what they’re reading unlike the blog where each post is about something new. 

References

Garber, Elliott. "The Uncommon Veterinarian." Elliott Garber. N.p., 2014. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.

Hutchins, Michael, Tom Foose, and Ulysses Seal. "The Role Of Veterinary Medicine in Endangered Species Conservation." Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine (1991): n. pag. Print.

Week #1 Prompt: 10 Questions about Wildlife Vet. Medicine

What exactly does a Wildlife Veterinarian do?

“Deworming of a cougar kitten. Photo by MyFWCmedia, Flickr“

Wildlife Veterinarians help sick animals similar to the way traditional vets do; however, wildlife veterinarians work with animals a little less tame. Wildlife Veterinarians work with exotic animals such as jaguars and elephants and pretty much any species you can find in the wild. Some of their job duties are monitoring the habits and behavior of animals, developing meal plans and nutritional needs for each species, and if they are working in a facility with closed animals, examining blood work, x-rays and so on for every animal. Wildlife Veterinarians also monitor endangered species and perform surgery or any other treatments that any animal may need. [2]

What are the requirements to become a Wildlife Veterinarian?
A Wildlife Veterinarian must first take preveerinary courses which require classes in organic and inorganic chemistry, many different biology classes, animal nutrition, genetics, zoology, etc. After taking all the required courses, applicants for veterinary schools require high standardized test scores such as Graduate Record Examination, the Veterinary College Admission Test, or the Medical College Admission Test. Wildlife Veterinarians then have to complete vet school, while also volunteering and participating in internships where they work around exotic animals. [1]


How many vet schools are there?
Veterinary schools must meet certain standards which are accredited by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medicine Association. In the United States, there are 28 accredited veterinary schools. One of which is Michigan State University. [1]

How competitive is this field?

Veterinary Medicine is a very aggressive field, one of the reasons being that vets are required to earn a degree in by an accredited school. Because there are not many veterinary schools in the United States, the field of Veterinary Medicine is very competitive.  [1]

What are the job opportunities?
There are many different fields and job opportunities for Wildlife Veterinarians. Jobs can range from zookeepers, to professors, to international wildlife experts, which is what I want to do. [2] With the range of possibilities endless, employment of veterinarians is predicated to grow 12 percent in the next 10 years which is average, but means more jobs are going to open up for people like to me join the filed. [3] 

What is the work environment like?

  

Working as a Veterinarian for exotic animals is similar to conditions of a zookeeper. They can work anywhere from a hospital setting to an animal’s natural habitat somewhere in the wild. Also, like people, animals need care no matter the weather or time of day. Wildlife Veterinarians work everyday of the week, at any time of the night or day. [2]

What is the average salary for Wildlife Veterinarians?
Although, in my opinion those who become Wildlife Veterinarians are not doing it for the money, it should be taken into account. The average salary for starting off vets is around $48,000. However, while traditional vets start their own private practice earn around $110,000, Wildlife Veterinarians who work for the government earn an average of around $100,000. [1]  


How long does it take to become a Veterinarian?
The time it takes to become a Veterinarian is different in every case. The average Veterinarian takes about 8 years in school before they can start their career. However, some vet students who are in accelerated programs complete their education in 6-7 years. Other vet students who specialize in certain species generally spend  11-12 years in school and training. [4]

Is working with animals in the wild dangerous?
Yes. Animals tend to be more aggressive and are more likely to injure people around them when they are stressed or in pain. Even vets with years of experience are sometimes hurt or even killed by animals. Being kicked or suffocated by a fallen animal are only some of the risks to working with large animals and wildlife. [1]

What is the difference between Wildlife Medicine and the traditional Veterinarian medicine?

Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Cranfield, started an organization
 called Gorilla Doctors where they treat and work with gorillas.  

          Traditional Veterinarians take care of animals like dogs and cats in a pet clinic, while wildlife veterinarians diagnose and treats animals like giraffes and elephants. Wildlife Veterinarians specialize in exotic animals; therefore, have many challenges that differ from those who work with domesticated animals. Wildlife vets are required to know not only the anatomy, but also the behavior of hundreds of different species. [2]

   


    In this post I attempted to use a textbook to answer my questions about the field of wildlife veterinary medicine. Because most answers vary depending on the person, animal, place etc. textbooks were not the best way for me to find information. For the questions I couldn't find in the textbook, I used the internet. The internet, in my opinion, is the easiest and fastest way to find information. Another resource that could have been helpful would be if I could have talked to a Wildlife Veterinarian in person to ask them the questions I had.

References

• [1] Whatley, Oneida. A Beginner's Guide to Become a Professional Veterinarian, The English Press, 2012. Print
• [2] Wadmin, J. I. "Wildlife Veterinarian Job Description." Jobs in Wildlife. Weaver, 6 Dec. 2011. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
• [3]Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Veterinarians, 
  web http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/veterinarians.htm (visited January 22, 2014).
• [4] N.a. "How Long Does It Take To Become A Veterinarian?" Access 2 Knowledge. Access2Knowledge, 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.