Conservation Medicine is a growing scientific discipline which aims to understand the role of health and disease in wild animals and how it relates to their conservation.
It looks at health and disease at an ecosystem level, rather than focusing on an individual animal. In trying to achieve this ‘big picture’ understanding, Conservation Medicine requires an interdisciplinary approach and draws on the expertise of personnel from varying professions with a variety of experiences and skills.
Perth Zoo’s veterinary department is becoming increasingly involved in Conservation Medicine. The veterinary team participates in a range of conservation medicine activities in collaboration with ecologists, biologists, university researchers and government environmental workers.
Involvement ranges from advisory roles and participation on recovery teams through to field anaesthesia and health assessment of wild animals.
The Zoo’s work in this field so far includes:
- screening for diseases in endangered wild Black Cockatoos
- investigation into the role of disease in the decline of Woylie populations in Western Australia including assessing the health of animals in the field
- increasing veterinary input into Perth Zoo’s breed-for-release programs for threatened native species including Western Swamp Tortoise, Numbats and endangered frog species to better understand the role of health and disease in captive and wild populations
- assisting in the planning for captive management and health surveillance of the endangered Western Ground Parrot
- providing technical expertise to the Department of Environment and Conservation including anaesthetising male Australian Sea Lions for the fitting of satellite tracking devices and undertaking health examinations and the collection of biological samples from sea lions for disease screening.
Perth Zoo’s veterinary input to these programs is increasingly valued as central to effective species conservation. You can help by supporting Perth Zoo’s Wildlife Conservation Action program which helps fund these types of activities.
Cockatoo Rehabilitation
Perth Zoo’s veterinary hospital has been involved in the rehabilitation of injured wild black cockatoos for many years.
There are three species of black cockatoo found in south-west Western Australia. Two of these, the Baudin’s and Carnaby’s Cockatoos, are endangered.
When injured wild black cockatoos are found, wildlife officers from the Department of Environment and Conservation bring the birds to Perth Zoo’s veterinary hospital for assessment and treatment. Many of the birds have been hit by cars, others have been shot. The cockatoos are provided with emergency treatment, surgery when necessary and intensive medical care.
Following initial treatment, the cockatoo stays in the veterinary hospital for as long as necessary which can be anything from one day to a couple of months.
They are then handed over to the Black Cockatoo Rehabilitation Centre where they continue their rehabilitation and, if possible, are released back into the wild. Often they are released into the same area and flock from where they came.
People convicted of shooting or harming cockatoos face fines of up to $10,000.
In addition to the rehabilitation work, Perth Zoo is also involved in research into the health of wild Black Cockatoos. This research has included a doctoral research project undertaken by a Perth Zoo resident veterinarian identified baseline health parameters for Black Cockatoos, investigations into the use of satellite tracking technology to monitor individual birds in the wild, and biochemical techniques for determining the age structure of wild cockatoo populations.
