Wildlife Health Sciences

©WCS/J.Maher

The Wildlife Conservation Society established an unwavering commitment to the health of wild animals over one hundred years ago with the creation of the Bronx Zoo and the hiring of their first full-time zoo veterinarian, Dr. Reid Blair. Today, the Wildlife Health Sciences division is responsible for the health care of more than 20,000 wild animals in five Living Institutions in the city of New York. In addition, our services and critical research efforts benefit free-ranging wild animals in native habitats around the globe. The departments of Clinical Care, Pathology and Field Veterinary Programs combine knowledge and dedication with compassion and understanding to provide the highest quality care to wildlife.

The Wildlife Health Center (WHC) is a 30,000-square-foot medical and applied research facility located on the grounds of the Bronx Zoo. The facility houses specialized areas for the performance of pathology exams as well as suites for sterile surgery and medical imaging. It includes laboratories in Clinical Medicine, Histopathology, and Field Veterinary Programs as well as a biomaterials archive, conference rooms, offices, a video conferencing center and library for professional health staff. Specialized animal enclosures are an integral part of WHC, with environments available for quarantine and isolation of new additions to the WCS collections as well as care for ill animals from the zoos and aquarium.

The New York Aquarium and each of the New York City Zoos in Queens, Prospect Park, and Central Park boast their own, fully equipped clinics. WHC, however, serves as the primary care facility for all of the WCS collections, providing 24-hour-a-day, seven day-a-week coverage for all five Living Institutions.