Being a veterinarian for the Zoological Society of San Diego is an exciting and rewarding career. Our veterinarians are among the finest, most dedicated, and knowledgeable in the world. You might be surprised to learn that a zoo veterinarian not only focuses on caring for animals in zoos and other captive wildlife institutions, but also studies animals in their native environments.

One example of the dedication of Harter Veterinary Medical Center veterinarians to the conservation and health of rare and endangered species is Dr. Nadine Lamberski's participation in a study of the black-footed cat"”or small spotted cat"”in South Africa. These cats are listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and are ranked as the most vulnerable of the sub-Saharan cat species by the Cat Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). With this knowledge and the challenge of finding these elusive felids, Dr. Lamberski, along with colleagues from the U.S. (Dr. Jason Herrick from the Cincinnati Zoo), South Africa (Dr. Corne Anderson and Beryl Wilson from the McGregor Museum), Germany (Dr. Alex Sliwa from the Wuppertal Zoo), and our own Dr. Oliver Ryder of CRES, began collaborating on the project in hopes of gaining a better understanding of habitats and genetic diversity. The research team is also trying to identify infectious diseases in other small carnivores that could threaten the health of the black-footed cat.

In October through November of 2005, the group attempted to trap black-footed cats and other small carnivores in Kimberly, South Africa. The research team set approximately 30 traps each evening at dusk. As soon as it was dark, the members of the research team searched 120 to 250 miles (200 to 400 kilometers) of the Benfontein Game Farm, traveling in a 4 x 4 with spotlights, quietly pursuing the characteristic bright eyes of a wild cat in the African night. Spotting the cats in this way helped confirm the traps were set in the appropriate habitat.

After nearly two weeks of intense field research, five black-footed cats were either sighted or captured, along with a jackal pup and hoards of hungry mongoose trying to sneak a free meal. The cats that were trapped were anesthetized for examination, measurements, and biological sampling to provide some of the first baseline health and reproductive data available to the veterinary and conservation communities. They also obtained valuable samples that are now banked at the CRES " Frozen Zoo" for future studies. All of the animals recovered from anesthesia and were released the same day to the areas they had been found.

Thanks to the Zoological Society's Ocelots Grants Program, Dr. Lamberski was recently awarded a $4,500 grant that will provide the funds needed to continue the research team's efforts to protect these quiet little spotted cats in South Africa. In the meantime, Dr. Lamberski and her colleagues at the Wild Animal Park and San Diego Zoo continue to look after the health and well being of the animals in their care, as well as continually searching for more ways to protect the world's endangered species.

Valerie Stoddard is the senior administrative assistant at the Wild Animal Park's Harter Veterinary Medical Center.

Posted in Conservation, Default, Field Studies, General | Link to this post

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Scroll to the end to leave a comment. Pinging is not allowed.