Objectives

The objectives of the Education and Communication Program are to provide opportunities for undergraduate, postgraduate and post-doctoral research at Perth Zoo and to provide training courses relevant to the conservation objectives of Perth Zoo.

Background

Unique among Australasian Zoos, Perth Zoo offers a postgraduate residency program for Masters of Philosophy in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine and a clinical rotation for final year veterinary students through collaboration with Murdoch University.

Perth Zoo offers opportunities for, and actively encourages, research projects to be conducted on its premises. In excess of 60 research projects have been conducted in Perth Zoo since 2001.

Masters of Philosophy in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine

Since 2001 Perth Zoo has been offering this joint program with the Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Science at Murdoch University. The 3 year residency program is based in Perth Zoo. The resident will be trained in all aspects of zoo veterinary work including husbandry, medicine and surgery, chemical and physical restraint, preventative medicine, captive management, pathology and nutrition of zoo collections, while undertaking a zoo based research project. The position will produce a highly qualified zoo veterinarian while providing the Zoo with an enthusiastic veterinarian who can undertake various tasks and assist the department to achieve its goals.

The resident is taught by Perth Zoo’s Director of Animal Health and Research, two full-time veterinarians and three veterinary nurses. Other relevant keeping staff and curators provide assistance with this training.

Upon successful completion of this program, the resident will graduate with:

• a high level of knowledge in zoo and wildlife medicine and captive management
• proficiency at distributing information to the scientific community
• preliminary research skills.
• high level interpersonal skills and the ability to deal with complex personnel issues.

The resident will be expected to be competitive for a career in wildlife medicine, management and research, working in zoos, private practice, wildlife parks, government agencies, conservation work or universities.

For more information on the Masters of Philosophy program, click here

Final Year Veterinary Undergraduate Student Rotation Based at Perth Zoo

Since 2003, in another joint program with Murdoch University, Perth Zoo has been conducting a 2-week zoo and wildlife medicine rotation for all final year veterinary students. Veterinary students require undergraduate training in the specialist area of zoo and wildlife medicine to enable them to deal with the sick and injured wildlife cases that they will inevitably encounter when working in either urban or rural private practice.

This rotation aims to provide students with the basic skills required to competently examine and treat wildlife and exotic companion animals, which could be brought to them by clients. In addition students will be taught how to use their existing clinical knowledge to diagnostically work-up these clinical cases.

The course covers appropriate methods of physical and chemical restraint of native wildlife and zoo animals; diagnosis and treatment of common diseases and injuries; ethical issues associated with rehabilitation of injured wildlife and aspects of nutrition and husbandry associated with maintaining native fauna and exotic animals in captivity.

This rotation also provides a strong foundation for further post-graduate studies, which can be undertaken by students who would like to pursue a career as a zoo veterinarian or work in conservation projects.

For more information on this program, click here.

Research Projects undertaken by university students to do research at Perth Zoo

Since 2001, Perth Zoo has been offering opportunities for and actively encouraging research projects to be conducted on its premises. These include undergraduate, post-graduate and post-doctoral research projects.

The numbers of projects have grown steadily from 6 in 2001 to over 20 in 2004. These projects have ranged from behavioural studies, nutrition, genetics, metabolic studies, reproductive biology, assisted reproduction, through disease epidemiology, parasitology to visitor behaviour.

Since 2004, Perth Zoo has also been offering generic animal behavioural projects for students of Curtin University Human Biology and Environmental Biology units.

If you are interested in undertaking a research project at Perth Zoo, click here for more information.

Program Staff

Program Leader

Dr Wen-Haur Cheng
Director Community Engagement

Other Perth Zoo staff

Dr Cree Monaghan
Director AHS&R

Dr Khim Harris
Manager Education, Perth Zoo

Dr Simone Vitali
Senior Veterinarian

Ms Debbie Read
Manager Communications

Dr Helen Robertson
Acting Director AHS&R

Mr Leif Cocks
Curator Exotic Mammals

Dr Rosemary Markham
Visiting Research Fellow, Perth Zoo

Outside collaborators

Dr Kris Warren
Murdoch University

Current Strategies

1. To develop and promote research questions suitable for undergraduate, graduate and post doctoral research relating to the conservation of biodiversity.

2. Develop and conduct training courses on site relating to the conservation of biodiversity and the conservation and management of Perth Zoo collection animals.

3. To communicate and promote the role of Perth Zoo in conservation research to Perth Zoo staff, other state and federal institutions and the general public.

Proposed New Activities

(a) Perth Zoo Frog Focus

A public frog education program to be held during Science Week focusing on and promoting the frog research being carried out at Perth Zoo. Includes frog surveys carried out by the public, a public lecture, development of educational materials and the development of a computer interactive education program.

(taken from p28 of the Perth Zoo Research Business Plan)