Page 11 - Gateways 2018 Spring

Chicago Zoological Society veterinarians Dr. Mike Adkesson
and Dr. Jennifer Langan help train a veterinary resident in
diagnostic ultrasound of an anesthetized polar bear.

Every Inch a Leader other institutions applying the most modern principles of veterinary
medicine to zoo species.
STAFF At the Chicago Zoological Society, actions truly speak
This post is in addition to Adkesson’s recent three-year appointment
louder than words. Society staff members don’t just to the Species360 Research Committee, which maintains over 40
talk about the importance of animal welfare. They years of animal records from more than 1,000 zoological institutions.
jump in and take leadership roles in national and global organizations He will help ensure that requests for these data are used in ways
committed to the health and well-being of zoo animals and wildlife. that are scientifically sound, fit within the scope of conservation, and
Dr. Mike Adkesson, vice president of clinical medicine at the Society, benefit wildlife.
has been elected president of the American Association of Zoo
Veterinarians (AAZV), an organization that represents more than 1,000 Dr. Jennifer Langan, senior staff veterinarian at the Society, was
members from zoos, aquariums, wildlife management agencies, and recently named vice president of the American College of Zoological
Medicine (ACZM). This international organization is responsible for the
board certification of veterinarians with special expertise in zoological
medicine. Among her goals, she plans to evaluate and update the zoo
veterinarian examination process. Her hope is that by providing the
resources for zoo veterinarians to become certified shortly after their
residency, animal-holding institutions across the United States will be
able to bring better-trained veterinarians on board.

Both Adkesson and Langan are excited about their new roles, which
they view as an important chance to collaborate with colleagues to
bring about positive change.

Bringing the Zoo to You Representatives from our animal ambassador program
visited with several families at Chicago Public Library’s
PROGRAMS We want to share with the world the conservation stories of the Lozano Branch in Pilsen in October 2017.

amazing animals living at Brookfield Zoo. However, not everyone is BROOKFIELD ZOO | SPRING 2018 11
able to come visit our furry, feathered, and scaly friends. For children
in underserved communities, senior citizens, and individuals with disabilities, a trip
to the zoo may be out of the question.
That’s the idea behind the Chicago Zoological Society’s animal ambassador
program, through which we bring some of our beloved animals—including a
sloth, wallaby, serval, and boa constrictor—to the public. Over 70 specially trained
individual animals in the program represent more than 35 species. For those
who are unable to make it to the zoo, visits from these animals can provide the
compelling experience necessary to form a personal connection and relationship
with nature.
That connection is so important, it’s part of our mission statement. It’s also
important enough that local officials have chosen to get involved and ensure it
happens. Recently, for example, Cook County Commissioner Luis Arroyo Jr. invited
the animal ambassador team to a senior center, where residents met a wood duck and
learned that by purchasing Federal Duck Stamps, they can help protect these birds’ woodland
habitat. And Commissioner Larry Suffredin invited the team to Family Focus, a Chicago-based
nonprofit that works to strengthen underserved families. There, more than 100 children had the
opportunity to meet animals they had never heard of, such as a tamandua and a tegu.
This past year, several state representatives—including Reps. Theresa Mah, Natalie Manley,
and Michelle Mussman—also initiated animal ambassador visits for their constituents.