Giraffes and Camels and Rhinos, Oh My!

Externship at the Abilene Zoo

Written by: Ellen Nasser, Oklahoma State University 

I did a 2 week externship at the Abilene Zoo in November. I have a huge admiration for zoo veterinarians. They have to know a ton about all kinds of species. However, it was neat being able to apply what we know from small and large animals to zoo med. One of their newborn baby giraffes was not nursing, leading to failure of passive transfer. The vet said we will treat her like a baby calf. We calculated how much plasma she would need and got a jugular catheter in. She is doing great now! Acclimating well in their giraffe herd. Amongst giraffes, I was able to treat a variety of birds, reptiles, and mammals. The vet was very hands on with the students. She let us draw blood, perform necropsies, read blood smears, and lots more. The vet also took us on a photo-op tour on my last day where I was able to feed various animals.  Surprisingly the camels were some of my favorites! They have a pair of sisters that have quite the personalities. This is one of my favorite externships for sure!