Veterinarians help in efforts to conserve Washington wildlife

By Katie Burns

Washington is home to an abundance of wildlife, but a number of native animals remain at risk. As in many states, wildlife veterinarians are among those working to restore and conserve the local ecosystems.

A kayaker has a close-up encounter with an adult male killer whale. Killer whales are a flagship conservation species that draws tourists to the Pacific Northwest from all over the world.(Courtesy of Dr. Joseph K. Gaydos/SeaDoc Society)On Orcas Island, Dr. Joseph K. Gaydos is regional director and staff scientist for the SeaDoc Society. The nonprofit group, a program of the University of California-Davis Wildlife Health Center, studies the ecosystem of the Salish Sea, the inland waters of Washington and British Columbia.

"We have to look at the whole ecosystem—and also the connections between the land and the ocean," Dr. Gaydos said. "What we're trying to do is provide good information that is then going to help people make better decisions."

Approximately 7 million to 8 million people live along the Salish Sea, Dr. Gaydos said. The dense human population threatens the ecosystem through habitat change, pollution, and overharvesting of resources.

Dr. Gaydos said local people feel a connection with nature, however, because they see seals on the beaches and whales in the ocean. They've been working hard in recent years to create a healthy ecosystem. The SeaDoc Society, in addition to conducting and coordinating research, brings people together to address complex issues.

The SeaDoc Society arranged a meeting to plan tactics for keeping killer whales away from oil spills, for example. The organization also arranged a meeting regarding recovery programs for sea otters and certain shellfish species, partly to discuss the issue of the otters eating the shellfish.

Dr. Gaydos has been with the SeaDoc Society since 2001. He worked previously in Zimbabwe, at the Philadelphia Zoo, in a mixed animal practice in West Virginia, and at the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study out of the University of Georgia. He thinks wildlife conservation is a natural fit for veterinarians because of their broad expertise in animal health and population medicine.

Yet, the idea of veterinarians contributing to conservation is still fairly recent, according to Dr. Kristin G. Mansfield, Washington state wildlife veterinarian.

"It wasn't until I was an undergraduate and took a summer job as a wildlife technician that the concept of combining a career of veterinary medicine with wildlife conservation and biology occurred to me," Dr. Mansfield said. "At the time, the late 1980s, there were very few state wildlife agencies that employed veterinarians; you could count them on one hand."

Dr. Mansfield went on to work as a wildlife veterinarian in California and Florida. She has been at the Washington wildlife department for the past seven years.

Dr. Mansfield noted that Washington state has diverse ecosystems, ranging from mountains to grasslands, that support a wide variety of animals. Habitat loss is the main threat for many native species.

The state wildlife department has been developing a habitat conservation plan for the nearly 1 million acres of land that it owns or manages. The department also has created recovery plans for salmon along with other animals ranging from sandhill cranes and sage grouse to pygmy rabbits and fishers, a member of the weasel family. The state allows hunting to manage populations of some large carnivores, such as cougars and black bears, but not of the very rare grizzly bears.

Information about some of the state's numerous other native species and conservation efforts is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov and www.seadocsociety.org.

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	146th AVMA Annual Convention Daily News—Sunday, July 12, 2009—Seattle, WA Convention News > News headlines > Washington wildlife Veterinarians help in efforts to conserve Washington wildlife By Katie Burns Washington is home to an abundance of wildlife, but a number of native animals remain at risk. As in many states, wildlife veterinarians are among those working to restore and conserve the local ecosystems. A kayaker has a close-up encounter with an adult male killer whale. Killer whales are a flagship conservation species that draws tourists to the Pacific Northwest from all over the world.(Courtesy of Dr. Joseph K. Gaydos/SeaDoc Society)On Orcas Island, Dr. Joseph K. Gaydos is regional director and staff scientist for the SeaDoc Society. The nonprofit group, a program of the University of California-Davis Wildlife Health Center, studies the ecosystem of the Salish Sea, the inland waters of Washington and British Columbia. "We have to look at the whole ecosystem—and also the connections between the land and the ocean," Dr. Gaydos said. "What we're trying to do is provide good information that is then going to help people make better decisions." Approximately 7 million to 8 million people live along the Salish Sea, Dr. Gaydos said. The dense human population threatens the ecosystem through habitat change, pollution, and overharvesting of resources. Dr. Gaydos said local people feel a connection with nature, however, because they see seals on the beaches and whales in the ocean. They've been working hard in recent years to create a healthy ecosystem. The SeaDoc Society, in addition to conducting and coordinating research, brings people together to address complex issues. The SeaDoc Society arranged a meeting to plan tactics for keeping killer whales away from oil spills, for example. The organization also arranged a meeting regarding recovery programs for sea otters and certain shellfish species, partly to discuss the issue of the otters eating the shellfish. Dr. Gaydos has been with the SeaDoc Society since 2001. He worked previously in Zimbabwe, at the Philadelphia Zoo, in a mixed animal practice in West Virginia, and at the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study out of the University of Georgia. He thinks wildlife conservation is a natural fit for veterinarians because of their broad expertise in animal health and population medicine. Yet, the idea of veterinarians contributing to conservation is still fairly recent, according to Dr. Kristin G. Mansfield, Washington state wildlife veterinarian. "It wasn't until I was an undergraduate and took a summer job as a wildlife technician that the concept of combining a career of veterinary medicine with wildlife conservation and biology occurred to me," Dr. Mansfield said. "At the time, the late 1980s, there were very few state wildlife agencies that employed veterinarians; you could count them on one hand." Dr. Mansfield went on to work as a wildlife veterinarian in California and Florida. She has been at the Washington wildlife department for the past seven years. Dr. Mansfield noted that Washington state has diverse ecosystems, ranging from mountains to grasslands, that support a wide variety of animals. Habitat loss is the main threat for many native species. The state wildlife department has been developing a habitat conservation plan for the nearly 1 million acres of land that it owns or manages. The department also has created recovery plans for salmon along with other animals ranging from sandhill cranes and sage grouse to pygmy rabbits and fishers, a member of the weasel family. The state allows hunting to manage populations of some large carnivores, such as cougars and black bears, but not of the very rare grizzly bears. Information about some of the state's numerous other native species and conservation efforts is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov and www.seadocsociety.org. Return to previous page