Conservation medicine in and through zoos

Abstract

Conservation medicine, as a distinct discipline investigating health and disease in relation to ecosystems, has grown in recent years. Veterinary teams are developing a growing understanding of the key aspects of conservation medicine, including the potential impact of wildlife disease on biodiversity and the importance of wildlife health within the continuum of human and ecosystem health. Perth Zoo veterinary staff have made an increasing contribution to conservation medicine in recent years, encountering both challenges and rewards, and reaching a clearer understanding of how the conservation medicine ethos can be interpreted within a zoo framework. This paper examines ways in which zoo veterinary teams can contribute to multidisciplinary conservation medicine programmes and discusses some of the challenges for further growth of this discipline in zoos. Opportunities for increased conservation medicine activities may exist within the current zoo framework or may be developed through close collaborative links with other conservation agencies. Successful zoo‐based conservation medicine activities rely on strong relationships and broad acceptance across the entire zoo of the importance of conservation medicine outcomes.

Conservation Medicine to One Health

“…7,10,11,15,39 Zoos today are much more than simple "arks" of protection for threatened and endangered wildlife, and staff provide health care and conduct health studies on animals both within zoo walls (ex situ) and in the wild (in situ). In fact, the role of zoologic veterinarians has been well-represented in conservation medicine over the last 15 years and is now also recognized in One Health.…”

“…In fact, the role of zoologic veterinarians has been well-represented in conservation medicine over the last 15 years and is now also recognized in One Health. 7,39 The significant contributions of zoologic veterinarians to conservation medicine and One Health and the benefits that zoos offer to both biodiversity conservation and human health may be categorized into five roles: (1) providing healthcare for zoologic species, thus ensuring sustainability of biodiversity; (2) conducting studies on diseases of conservation concern; (3) understanding diseases in zoo wildlife as sentinels for emerging diseases of humans and animals in surrounding areas; (4) performing surveillance of diseases in wild animals at the interface of wildlife, domestic animals, and humans; and (5) making contributions to the fields of comparative medicine and the discovery of all life forms (Figure 73-1 and Box 73-1). 11 As we move forward and strengthen the efforts of zoologic veterinarians in these initiatives, it will be important to develop strong relationships between successful zoo-based conservation medicine and One Health activities across the entire zoologic community and in the conservation medicine and One Health communities.…”

Editorial: Research in Zoos

“…No single institution has the mandate, the money or the expertise to undertake conservation medicine projects single handedly; positive wildlife health outcomes rely on input and expertise from a large number of agencies and stakeholders. Building and maintaining transdisciplinary relationships is vital if zoos wish to develop a meaningful role in conservation medicine efforts’ (Vitali et al ., 2011). And Probst et al .…”

“…This leads to the specifics. The high productivity of veterinary input into zoo conservation research is highlighted in the article by Vitali et al . (2011).…”

“…This leads to the specifics. The high productivity of veterinary input into zoo conservation research is highlighted in the article by Vitali et al (2011). Problems were identified and a coordinated approach was made to resolve these difficulties; anticipation of problems to come takes additional effort; and knowing those aspects of an animal's biology well enough to assist the identification of preventative/ameliorative measures permits better coping.…”