Clinical pathologist Allan P. Pessier studies the different diseases and health circumstances of animals by analyzing blood, feces, the ‘enviroment,’ etc.

The Pathology Lab is where most of the work is done. The pupose of this lab is to sceen for parasites, test samples of animals, and diagnose diseases.

Eric Becht, a Clinical Laboratory technician, shows the Internquest interns a sample from a dog populated with parasites.

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The veterinarians are very similar to human doctors, which are called physicians, in their daily routine, though Dr. Mercado says that there is really no set routine because each day on the job is very different. The day begins with a meeting with all of the vets to review the patients of the day. Before examining their patients, the vet must check all of the previous records for each animal. Most of the animals are examined out in the field to reduce stress on the animal. But if it is necessary, the animal is brought into the hospital for examination. If there is an extremely challenging case, Harter Hospital has the resources to stream live videoconferences with other veterinary specialists from the San Diego Zoo and University of California, Davis.

Dr. Mercado is a veterinary resident; this means that he is working to complete a specialty degree in zoological medicine. The residency program lasts for three years, with each resident spending one year at the Sacramento Zoo/University of California, Davis, the San Diego Zoo, and the Wild Animal Park. Dr. Mercado is in his third and final year of the program. To receive his specialty degree he must first pass the Boards, two days of intense testing. He has already completed a D.V.M. from Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC), Mexicali and a master’s degree from University of California, Davis. According to Dr. Mercado, it is essential to have a firm base in domestic animal medicine in order to make the leap to exotic animal medicine. It also takes a lot of persistence, patience, and determination to get into this very exclusive field. However, it is worth all of the hard work because of the many rewards and in knowing that the animals are well cared for.

-Ariel, Zoo InternQuest, Animal Careers Team

From Then to Now, Gathering and Keeping Track of Info at the Veterinary Hospital
At the Wild Animal Park, the Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center aims to keep up with rapidly changing technology. Whether it is digital X rays or a mobile ProPaq machine that assesses vitals such as heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen level, Harter Hospital is well equipped to handle anything that comes its way. This hospital utilizes some of the very latest medical technology available. Nowadays, instead of using old X-ray machines where images are examined on a light box, X rays are looked at digitally with the help of a computer. This allows veterinarians to zoom in on particular regions of the body and easily make the image contrast lighter or darker. Also, all of the animals at the Wild Animal Park and the San Diego Zoo have been microchipped. This allows vets to make a positive identification and access each animal’s medical history. Even though the hospital is completely high tech, the staff is still using old-fashioned filing cabinets for their record keeping efforts! This is largely due to a lack of innovative computer programs able to store the enormous amount of information that vets need to keep for their animals. In fact, there is a handwritten file detailing the medical history of each and every animal housed at the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park.

Except for the file cabinets, it was amazing to see how high tech and well planned the whole place is! There are surgery rooms, X-ray rooms, intensive care areas, and recovery rooms. There are large padded rooms for the animals during recovery and surveillance cameras all around so that the keepers and doctors are able to monitor their patients 24/7. This animal hospital is the largest in the world, and the animals here get top-notch care. If I were an animal in trouble, I know where I would want to be!
- Hayley, Zoo InternQuest, Real World Team

Veterinary Care for California Condors
Originally from Mexico, Dr. Mercado has been a great asset to the California Condor Recovery Program occurring in Baja California. His involvement ranges from examining birds before release to caring for animals that may have ingested something dangerous after release. The CRES team and their partners in Mexico are attempting to bring the population of these endangered birds up to a stable, self-sustaining number by monitoring and steadily releasing condors into the wild over the next few years. Because these birds are recovering from near extinction, it is equally important that researchers document behavioral changes and effects of certain release options in order to increase the success of reintroduction efforts.

Sierra San Pedro Martir National Park in Northern Baja California is the place where the condors are being released because of its remote location and minimal human impact. The condors are bred in captivity, so it is difficult to predict success when measuring the rate of survival and conformity that the birds experience upon being introduced to their new habitat. But the biologists are expecting good results!

According to Dr. Mercado, this innovative condor recovery program is also benefiting the Mexican community by providing employment to Mexican researchers, biologists, and students. Through this program, the San Diego Zoo is able to spread the knowledge of conservation not only in Mexico, but on a global scale as well. The recovery program also includes reintroduction sites in central California and at the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The world population of California condors is quickly approaching 300 individuals, which will likely continue to increase with the efforts of this program.

- Sarah, Zoo InternQuest, Conservation Team

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The interns were awed at the size of the surgery room, and the various devices used to transport large animals in and out. We were dazzled by all the technology available to better the lives of our captive animals.

We visited the open-air recovery pens for hoofed stock animals and saw different animals in various states of recovery. This red deer was recovering from an injured hoof.

An important part of veterinary medicine is being able to retrieve the injured or sick animal and bring it back to the hospital. Dr. Mercado showed us the gun they use to bring the animal in, with as little discomfort to the animal as possible.

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November is here, and the pursuit of the elusive black-footed/small spotted cat is currently under way. Dr. Lamberski and the rest of the research team have spent the last 12 days roaming the arid South African landscape. Their days begin in the dark of night and continue into the predawn hours, with hopes of tracking down the elusive wild feline. Nadine has kept staff abreast of the team’s adventures, and most importantly their successes, with locating, trapping, and ultimately releasing the cats for the purpose of aiding in their survival. In turn, she and I would like to share them with you!

Following is a recent e-mail from Dr. Lamberski recounting the first days of their journey:

3 NOVEMBER: Due to the rain and unfavorable road conditions, we didn’t start to trap until today. It took four hours to bait and set all forty traps at dusk. Although we were hopeful that we would catch a cat by dawn, we trapped a single yellow mongoose. The booger (or little rocket) escaped while we tried to confine him in the trap with blankets so I could inject him. All in all, it was a very disappointing day, but we re-baited and reset the traps at dusk and remained hopeful.

Went to Berly’s house that evening for dinner – lots of good food, good drink, and bad jokes. On the road again at 5:30 a.m. to check traps. Trap #2 had a mongoose. Phillip and I were processing that animal (no escapes this time!) and then we heard over the radio that there was another mongoose in trap #6. Mongoose share their territory and prey items with black-footed cats, so sampling other carnivores helps to identify disease concerns in the target species.

Then another radio call, a Cape fox in trap #9. We decided to release the mongoose in #6 and head for the fox (a bit more unusual capture). Later we would know that a total of five mongooses (geese?) had been trapped overnight.

4 NOVEMBER: Up again at 5:30 a.m., still hoping for a cat. Now it’s freezing and windy; the weather is so unpredictable. Two mongooses today: another escapee (we joke that we let the first one go on purpose – hard to get moving that early!!) and a pregnant one that we were able to fully process despite the wind. Now it’s time to re-bait the traps.

The moon was spectacular last night.

5 NOVEMBER: This morning we trapped another three mongoose and a bat-eared fox (pictured). It was much warmer with no wind. Still no black-footed cats but we have another capture method (plan B) we plan to try in a few days. Rain is anticipated (based on the appearance of a ground dwelling termite), so who knows what will happen. Nadine

Valerie Stoddard is the senior administrative assistant at the Wild Animal Park’s Harter Veterinary Medical Center.
Nadine Lamberski is a veterinarian at the Harter Veterinary Medical Hospital.

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Of course, no sleepover would be complete without s’mores, hot cocoa, and warm cider! By now, sweatshirts and flashlights are necessary, and everyone gathers around the campfire for animal adaptation stories and silly songs. Some songs come complete with goofy dances, but everyone participates and gets a good laugh.

I haven’t had the pleasure of joining the overnight portion of the program, but I’m told that the tents are comfortable and that the rhinos do more than snore…apparently, some of their sounds are smelly as well as loud! Native neighbors sometimes show up overnight, too. Students tell us they’ve heard great horned owls, seen mule deer, and even encountered the occasional skunk (which, fortunately, always seems to be headed in the other direction)!
At any rate, everyone certainly seems to be in a good mood when it’s time for the wake-up call the next morning. And why shouldn’t they be? Waiting at camp is a hearty breakfast and a warm shower. After breakfast, it’s time for an early-morning hike, especially exciting because the Park hasn’t even opened to the public yet. This is a great chance for the kids to see some of the animals at their most active. At a special behind-the-scenes presentation area (with an amazing view of San Pasqual Valley), the groups are treated to one more animal encounter. This year, the special guest was an alligator! By the time the Wild Animal Park opens and guests begin filing through the turnstiles, our Night Owls are finishing up their special Park experience.

Each season, we receive letters and calls from Night Owls participants, telling us how much the students enjoyed the sleepover program and how much they learned in the process. Each of the letters makes the rounds through the Education staff. Here are some new arrivals that we all thought were especially sincere:

“Dear Mary,
Thank you for showing me the alligator. It was very cool. I wish I could go back in time and see it all again!
From, Kennedy”

“Dear Education Department,
Thank you for the trip on the tram. Thank you for teaching us how to memorize the differents (sic) between an Indian rhino and an African rhino. That was a very cool springhaas. It was funny when it went by our feet. The funnest part was when we got to sleep in the tents.
Sincerely, Trevor”

“Dear Night Owls staff,
Thank you for such a wonderful time! I really enjoyed the hot chocolate, the sausage, the tents, and the food! I want to really thank you for the T-shirts.
My favorite thing was the food. Man, that was the best dinner and breakfast and hot co-co I’ve ever had. If I could, I’d get bad grades so I can get held back and do this again. Man, I had such a blast.
Thanks for the ‘blast!’
Love, Griffin”

“Dear Night Owl Staff,
Thank you for such a wonderful time. My favorite parts were when we had the animal visits and when we got to see the gibbons and the rail tour. It was so awesome. I learned a lot from this program. Again, thank you.
Sincerely,
Devin
P.S. Don’t tell anybody this, but I learned the most.”

“Andy, Larkin, Dave, Mary, and Teri,
Thank you for teaching us about addapidtachions (sic) and taking your time out of your work to spend time with the fourth grade. I hope I can do it together again.
From, Wyatt”

Apparently, spelling lessons weren’t included in the Night Owls program, but that’s one of the most endearing parts of receiving thank you letters from the kids we teach! From all of the Night Owls staff, Thanks, kids! We hope to see you when we do it all again next spring!

Mary Zanotelli is an educator at the Wild Animal Park.

Here’s more information about Night Owls.
Here’s information about other sleepover programs at the Park and the San Diego Zoo.

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Those may have been the first official visitors, but the visitors kept coming. The Panda Discovery Center was originally a multi-layered queue with a secondary queue on Panda Canyon and it was not uncommon for the line of eager visitors to stretch well down the road. It was my extraordinary privilege to have been one of the first group of panda narrators, and things were a lot different in those early days. Shi Shi, our first male in residence (pictured above), and Bai Yun - yes, our Bai Yun - were out for limited hours and only on exhibit one at a time as they became acclimated to their new home and the keepers, veterinarians, and research staff learned about them and how best to care for them. Staff had been to China to learn about animal care there, but it was a huge responsibility to have these national treasures of China living in our Zoo, so decisions were made very carefully.

Bai Yun was 5 years old at the time (making her younger then than Hua Mei is now!), a lively, curious bear who used to climb up near the top of a pine tree and dangle herself propped over branches in a singularly uncomfortable-looking position to nap. As time went on, we would joke that the more body parts she dangled, the more soundly she appeared to be sleeping. Shi Shi was an older bear, perhaps as old as 18 or 20 when he arrived. Because he had been rescued from the wild as a badly injured, older adult, his age was not known. Described as set in his ways, he was a serious napper and eater - as a panda should be. The intensity with which he pursued these behaviors could often cause distress to visitors. Lining up as soon as the Zoo opened to be first to view the pandas, visitors were occasionally disappointed when Shi Shi overslept his posted morning viewing time by an hour or so. As we still explain today, the bears are here for us to learn about what pandas do, including sleeping in when they choose (although it wasn’t easy being the one who had to tell this to the 200 eager panda fans who’d been waiting in the sun for an hour….)

That first year was exciting just for the presence of the pandas, and even as they settled into a routine of sorts and became comfortable here at the Zoo, there was much information being gathered - something which continues to this day.

Ellie Rosenbaum is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.

Here’s information about the Zoo’s 90th Birthday celebration.

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A selection of paintings by Janey will be displayed at the Zoo’s main gift shop and only available for bid in person. In addition, a couple of paintings will be offered online for auction to a worldwide audience exclusively on this Web site.

The auction started this morning. The first painting closes bids at 4 p.m., and the second at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, November 19. Bids start at $100 and can be raised in $10 increments. All winners will be notified soon after the auction closes during the week of November 19.

All proceeds of the silent auction will be donated to great ape field research and conservation projects including rescue centers in Congo and Borneo for apes orphaned by poaching, the bushmeat crisis, and destruction of their forest homes.

Enter the auction now!

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Gao Gao had a visitor the other day that impressed me; he was about 7 years of age and in his arms was a very loved panda that looked well worn with attention from his young master. I asked the bear’s name and he told me it was Tobie. He had brought Tobie to the San Diego Zoo to meet his family! This youngster was really interested in the bears’ names, and then would very quietly whisper them to Tobie. I could see that this young boy’s imagination was very active and he was truly interested in the pandas’ future. As he left the panda exhibit area I knew that someday he will remember visiting and sharing the bears here with his stuffed bear, Tobie.

I love to share the hope of saving endangered animals and teaching people, one at a time, to conserve our resources for our future generations of animals and humans. I think animals teach us as well as we teach them. Without moments like this to rekindle our hopes for the future, I would probably retire. But there’s no chance of that when I meet youngsters like Tobie!

Kay Ferguson is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.

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This could mean that those of you who are virtual visitors via Panda Cam may have different views than those you are familiar with –”bear” with us! Things should be back to a more normal routine by Thursday morning, with contruction and repairs finished and a freshly painted viewing area ready to greet our guests.

Ellie Rosenbaum is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.

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For the first few days, the guenons and monkeys were let out on alternate days. This gave Sprite and Chumu a chance to acclimate to their new exhibit. Inside the bedrooms, the two groups could see each other and spent a large amount of time “showing off” by bouncing around and slamming toys, kind of like when you want someone’s attention and you knock something over to get them to look your way.

Then, the day came to let them all out together and within a few hours, it seemed clear they would soon work out any differences and get along well together. Sprite is still very protective of Chumu, so if she thinks the play sessions are getting too rough between him and the swamp monkeys, she makes her way over to break them up. She seems tolerant enough to share the exhibit with these four new rambunctious kids, but hasn’t been seen getting too close to them yet.

Chumu, however, is constantly playing with his new friends. The two groups are still separated at night when there are no keepers around to monitor them, but in the morning Chumu will wait by the exhibit door for his new friends. He knows each day is now filled with fun and frolic as these five young primates, and one very wise and patient one, spend their days teaching us about getting along with your neighbors.

Nerssia Foland is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

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