Care for Animals in the Zoo
- Sea Lion and Vet Photo
- Paul Calle, WCS Director of Zoological Health examines a California sea lion at the New York Aquarium at Coney Island.
- Julie Larsen Maher ©WCS
In New York City, more than 20,000 wild animals reside in WCS’s four zoos and aquarium. The wildlife represents 1,400 species—each with special nutritional, behavioral, and medical needs. Our veterinarians have the know-how to treat them all. Well versed in the latest veterinary medicine and skillful in the newest procedures, they are ready for almost anything. An MRI scan for a gorilla? Check. A nursery for hand-raising a rare baby fruit bat? Check. Dental work for walruses? Yes, that too. By carefully studying our zoo and aquarium animals, our scientists develop the medical techniques and programs necessary to aid the species in the field.
WCS Projects
At a zoo or aquarium, one procedure does not fit all. Our wildlife
health specialists conduct research to improve animal care in new and
innovative ways, and when necessary, perform various types of
surgeries and treatments on many kinds of animals.
WCS pathologists are medical detectives. They identify infections from viruses, parasites, bacteria, and fungus and other disease processes that impact animal health or could cause disease outbreaks. They also track diseases, analyze biological samples, and study the relationships animals have with each other and their environment.
The Wildlife Health Center at the Bronx Zoo, the Aquatic Animal Health Center at the New York Aquarium, and clinics at the Central Park, Prospect Park, and Queens Zoos allow us to provide state-of-the-art healthcare to our diverse wildlife collection.
From the Newsroom
The Wildlife Conservation Society thanks The Brain Tumor Foundation and its “Road To Early Detection” campaign for their assistance in scanning the brain of a gorilla at the Bronx Zoo.
Turtle biologists, veterinarians, and zoo staff from partner organizations convened at China’s Changsha Zoo to collect a lone, elderly female Yangtze giant softshell turtle and transport her to Suzhou Zoo, where she joined one of the few remaining males to potentially breed and save their entire species.