American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
Event: Annual conference, Oct. 20-26, 2012, Oakland, Calif.
Program: The conference drew 468 attendees representing 30 countries.
Awards: Duane Ullrey Award: Dr. Michael M. Garner, Monroe, Wash., for exceptional achievements in the science of wild animal health and for support of the AAZV. A 1987 graduate of the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine and a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, Dr. Garner owns Northwest ZooPath, a consulting service that specializes in the pathology of nondomestic species. He also serves as an adjunct associate professor of pathology at the WSU CVM’s Department of Microbiology and Pathology. AAZV/Morris Animal Foundation Postgraduate Student Manuscript Competition: First place—Dr. Kate Freeman (NCU ’08), for “Does orally administered doxycycline achieve adequate concentration in the plasma and tears of elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris)?”; and second place—Dr. Krista Keller (ROS ’10), for “Development of a cutaneous wound healing model for evaluation of platelet-derived growth factor (Regranex®) in the bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps)”; AAZV/Wildlife Pharmaceuticals Inc. Undergraduate Student Manuscript Competition: First place—Greg Bishop (CAL ’13), for “Successful management of recurrent eosinophilic granuloma with steroids and antihistamines in a black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)”; and second place—Dr. Alexander Alvarez (FL ’12), for “Development of a quantitative PCR for rapid and sensitive detection of an intranuclear coccidian parasite of tortoises (tinc) and identification of tinc in the critically endangered Arakan forest turtle (Heosemys depressa)”; Safe Capture International Inc. Poster Competition: First place—Grayson Doss (LSU ’13), for “Evaluation of metomidate hydrochloride as an anesthetic in amphibians”; and second place—Gabby Drake, North of England Zoological Society, United Kingdom, for “Management of an outbreak of cowpox in a group of captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii) (224).” Lifetime membership was awarded to Dr. Duanne Ullrey, East Lansing, Mich., for outstanding contributions to the AAZV. Winners of the International Scholarship Program were Monica Bando, Animals Asia Foundation, China; Omar Gonzales Viera, Sao Paulo University, Peru; Rupak Khadka, Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Sierra Leone; Gianmarco Paolo Rojas Moreno, Parque Zoologico Huachipa, Peru; and Kinani Sangwa Jean Felix, Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project, Rwanda.
Business: The AAZV’s Developing Nation Limited Member program is in its second year with 115 participants, compared with 26 at the same time last year. DNLM members cannot vote or hold office but receive all other member benefits and access to the online journal, electronic mailing list, and the members-only area of the website. In addition, the European Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians gives DNLM members access to the members-only area of its website. The DNLM program builds in-country capacity worldwide, as the AAZV recognizes that most of the endangered species on the planet inhabit developing nations.
Officials: Drs. Paul Calle, New York, president; Doug Armstrong, Omaha, Neb., president-elect; Meg Sutherland-Smith, San Diego, vice president; Kelly Helmick, Seattle, secretary; Chris Hanley, Toledo, Ohio, treasurer; Kirk Suedmeyer, Kansas City, Mo., immediate past president; and Robert Hilsenroth, Yulee, Fla., executive director