Dr S Vellayan

The purpose of this paper is to explore the current and future role of Veterinary Medicine in endangered species conservation in Modernized Zoos. Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians should be involved in conservation efforts, giving special attention to the Veterinarian’s involvement in captive breeding and reintroduction programmes. Veterinary medicine plays an important role in the survival of many wildlife populations. 

Management concerns for the Curator, Wildlife Manager and Veterinarian occur at three different levels, namely the individual animal, the social group and the population. Clinical Zoo Veterinarians are the ultimate generalist, to protect the health and to restore health to compromise endangered species. This work involves paying close attention to an animal’s fundamental nutritional and behavioural needs and being ready to identify and treat serious health problems. 

Veterinary training follows traditional trends in human medicine. Research is necessary to develop diagnosis and treatment protocols for the entire spectrum of species to investigate and record the types of diseases to which the species are susceptible. The work of veterinary pathologists will supplement Zoo Veterinary Medicine. More collaboration between clinical veterinarians and animal behaviourists is essential. Stress is an induced risk factor which needs to be emphasized in captive animals and can cause lowering of the immune system. 

Thus Zoo Veterinarian epidemiologists have to focus on the health related problems of the entire population of a particular species and the methods of contraception. These techniques will have to be reversible and administered in a single application and have an acceptable level of mortality. In a modernized zoo, the Veterinarian should have standardized expertise in chemical immobilization, sedation and transport of the species. The Veterinarian should contribute to the maintenance of genetic diversity. 

Thus the Zoo veterinarian must continue to develop effective means for safely capturing and transporting animals. One implication of the emerging conservation missions of modernized zoos is that their primary perspective towards animals’ needs is focused on populations rather than on individuals. However, there are circumstances where these two perspectives may be in conflict. The future of wildlife conservation may depend as much on our resolution of various ethical issues and ecology. Although clinical and administrative responsibilities often preclude their direct involvement in research, Zoo 

Veterinarians have much to contribute in collaboration with nutritionist, behaviouralist and other specialists. A Veterinarian should collect valuable biological specimens whenever he has the chances for genetic analysis. Thus a guideline should be drawn. The species survival commission of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) has a Veterinary Specialist Group, which focuses on issues of wildlife diseases. The IUCN’s Captive Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) also has a Veterinary Working Group, which focuses on problems affecting captive animals.