Page 12 - Annual Report 2022

WILDLIFE HEALTH VETERINARY
RESIDENCY PROGRAM

The Chicago Zoological Society The need for expertise in
(CZS) and our partners launched wildlife health and disease is urgent.
a pioneering program that will pro- Two-thirds of zoonotic infections,
vide early career veterinarians with or infections that spread from
specialized training in the manage- animals to humans, come from
ment of wildlife health and disease. wildlife. Disease and environmental
The Wildlife Health Veterinary toxins threaten to wipe out many
Residency Program was created species, particularly those that
by CZS, the Forest Preserves of are endangered.
Cook County, and the University of Residents will be involved in
Illinois College of Veterinary Medi- the health management of at least
cine. The three-year residency is one nine different populations, including
of the first in the country to offer this white-tailed deer, Blanding’s turtles,
training and the first such program river otters, coyote, and species of
to comply with the rigorous stan- birds and fish.
dards set by the American College The first resident was selected
of Zoological Medicine (ACZM), last year and has begun to con-
the certifying body for specialists duct and assist with laboratory and
in zoo and wildlife medicine. field research to help maintain the
We anticipate that it will become health of wildlife and ecosystems
a model for programs around in Cook County.
the world.

Dr. Matt Allender, Wildlife Health Veterinary Residency
Program director, and resident, Dr. John Winter, during
Winter’s clinical cross-training at Brookfield Zoo.

10 BROOKFIELD ZOO | CHICAGO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY