A giraffe with a sore foot. A crocodile with a broken tooth. An x-ray of a bird’s wing. Taking care of these situations and many more are all in a day’s work at Woodland Park Zoo.

Animal care is the primary focus for the dedicated veterinary team at the zoo. Every day veterinarians, vet interns, licensed veterinary technicians and techs in training, keepers and other animal care staff work hard to ensure that the animals are in good health.

Exemplary animal care is more than just examinations and treatment. For the effective treatment of illness and disease, the latest advances in nutrition and preventative medicine, the veterinary staff needs to spend a lot of time studying, learning new treatment options and medications, and most of all, consulting with professionals in virtually every medical field and from all over the world.

Locally, we work with many veterinarians and even human health care providers who we need to assist in cases that require expert resources. These include OB-GYNs, ophthalmologists, endodontists, radiologists and a host of other medical specialists.

Externally, our veterinarians consult with vets from other zoos, wildlife biologists and conservationists who are able to give insights into medical and nutritional care. The zoo’s Indonesian Veterinary Training Program gives our animal health team valuable insights into the care of Indonesian species we have here at the zoo as well as provides training and expertise to zoo and wildlife veterinarians in the home countries of those animals.