Interested in becoming a free-ranging wildlife veterinarian? Don’t be afraid to think outside the career box!

In our article Wildlife Health Career Paths we discussed the different types of wildlife veterinarians, including free-ranging wildlife vets, zoo vets, and wildlife rehabilitation vets. Of these three categories, the path to becoming a free ranging wildlife veterinarian is probably the least clear, and one that students tend to have the most questions about. 

Unfortunately, students interested in becoming a free-ranging wildlife veterinarian often abandon this career path when they hit roadblocks early on, including:

• Lack of access to mentors in free-ranging wildlife health

• Lack of school curriculum focused on free-ranging wildlife and ecosystem health

• Difficulty finding ways to gain experience in the field- how do I get my foot in the door?

• Difficulty finding available jobs, or even knowing what potential jobs are out there

• Feeling daunted by all the training requirements, such as additional graduate degrees or clinical residencies.

This article will discuss what a free-ranging wildlife veterinarian does, different job opportunities that exist, and how to get the experience and training you need.

Note: For purposes of this article, I’m not going to discuss wildlife rehabilitation (which is another aspect of free-ranging wildlife health).  We’ll discuss wildlife rehabilitation separately in a future article.

Note #2: This information is based on education and workforce systems in the U.S., and specific information may vary for students in other countries.

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What Exactly Does a Free-Ranging Wildlife Veterinarian Do?

Veterinarians working with free-ranging wildlife populations include specialists in epidemiology, pathology, infectious diseases, toxicology, reproductive biology, pharmacology, relocation, anesthesiology, endangered species management and reintroductions, public health, and clinical medicine. They often work in team settings with biologists, wildlife managers, and other researchers.

Primary responsibilities of free-ranging wildlife vets include designing and conducting field studies to collect biological samples (such as blood) for disease surveillance, outbreak/mortality event investigations, and health assessments of wild species. This often includes overseeing the capture and chemical immobilization/anesthetic procedures used. Conducting necropsies (animal autopsies) on animals found dead to determine causes of mortality and to screen for important diseases is a component of the job as well.

Wildlife vets use this information to understand how a disease or other health threats may affect the population of those species as a whole. They can then work collaboratively with biologists and wildlife managers to come up with strategies to mitigate these threats. 

Free-ranging wildlife vets may also work closely with public health officials, especially when studying zoonotic diseases (disease that can spread between wildlife and people) such as rabies, Brucellosis, and certain types of influenza. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of zoonotic disease surveillance, as current evidence strongly suggests the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for COVID-19 originated in wild bats. Beyond just disease surveillance, maintaining ecosystem health is a critical part of zoonotic disease prevention, and an area where wildlife vets can contribute their expertise.

Captive rearing and reintroduction/translocation of endangered or threatened species is another area where free-ranging wildlife vets are often involved. Vets need to ensure the animals stay healthy while they are in captivity, and they also need to make sure these animals will not transmit any diseases to the wild population once they are released.  Some wild species are particularly hard to raise in captivity, and vets can use their expertise to help develop husbandry techniques that will keep these animals safe and healthy.

The above job responsibilities might all sound fun and exciting, but it’s important to point out a large part of a free-ranging wildlife vet’s job also involves some less glamorous duties as well. It’s more than just running around with a dart gun!

 You may spend a lot of your time writing research proposals, filling out permit applications, reviewing protocols, and doing other business/administrative duties. But these essential activities are what make the field work possible.

Some positions for free-ranging wildlife vets involve much less hands-on work with animals, and focus more on areas such as policy, regulation, and public outreach. These areas are critical to the conservation and preservation of wildlife health.

Job Opportunities in Free-Ranging Wildlife Health: State and Federal Agencies

The types of positions for free-ranging wildlife veterinarians that most people are familiar with include jobs in state and federal agencies. These include state wildlife agencies, and federal agencies such U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Park Service, and others.

USGS veterinarians investigate, diagnose, develop control methods, and maintain databases for wildlife diseases. They also provide training to wildlife biologists and resource managers. The USGS’ National Wildlife Health Center coordinates programs across the United States to respond to emerging diseases in wildlife.

Veterinarians employed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service conduct wildlife disease surveillance including diagnostic work and outbreak investigations, provide technical expertise, and develop policy, regulation, and management plans for wildlife.

Similarly, National Park Service veterinarians investigate wildlife disease and develop management policies. National Park Service also has an active One Health branch that focuses on zoonotic disease surveillance and interdisciplinary collaborations to protect human, wildlife, and domestic animal health in our national parks.

Individual state agencies are in charge of statewide wildlife management, working collaboratively with the federal agencies mentioned above.  Some of these state agencies also have a strong wildlife health and disease focus.

How Many Wildlife Veterinarians are Employed in Government Agencies in the U.S.?

Federal Agencies:

It’s tough to pinpoint the exact number of vets currently employed in state and federal agencies, but a couple articles published over the past 10 years have explored this question.  While there may have been some growth in the number of veterinary positions available over the past few years, the numbers are likely not dramatically different.

In 2010, the U.S. Department of the Interior (which oversees the federal bureaus listed above such as USGS, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and National Park Service) reported employing just 34 veterinarians nationwide according to the National Research Council. Most of these vets were employed by USGS, including the USGS National Wildlife Health Center.

As a consequence, several federal agencies report having too few veterinarians on staff to meet their needs, but limited funding to support these positions remains a challenge.

State Agencies:

A National Research Council publication reported that as of 2009, only 19 state agencies had one or more wildlife veterinarians on staff, with a total of 32 vets employed in state wildlife jobs.

A 2016 article in DVM360 reported that there were about 40 free-ranging wildlife veterinarians in the United States and Canada, noting that “if there was one veterinarian on staff in each state and province, there would be about 60.” Although veterinarians can make valuable contributions to the mission of state wildlife agencies, currently few job openings in this sector explicitly seek individuals with veterinary degrees. This will hopefully change in coming years, with more funding and opportunities for veterinarians in state wildlife positions.

Other Career Opportunities for a Free-Ranging Wildlife Veterinarian: Thinking Outside the Box

“The roles wildlife veterinarians are playing around the world today are as expansive as one’s passion and creativity.” 

Mazet, J. A., Hamilton, G. E., & Dierauf, L. A. (2006). Educating veterinarians for careers in free-ranging wildlife medicine and ecosystem health. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 33(3), 352-360.

While the wildlife vet job numbers listed above may initially seem discouraging, don’t let this deter you!

The intent of this article isn’t to crush your dreams of being a wildlife vet, but rather to show you that you don’t need to focus your career goals narrowly on these conventional government wildlife health positions.  Especially early in your career as you are gaining skills and experience.

If you try to do a job search for wildlife health jobs or free-ranging wildlife veterinarian positions, you will likely not get many results.  And many of the open positions advertised may require experience or specific training you don’t have (yet!).

This is precisely where many students and early career professionals hit a roadblock that they can’t see around.  But there are MANY opportunities for wildlife vets out there, sometimes it just takes a slightly different perspective and approach.

Below are just a few examples of other ways you can build a veterinary career working with free-ranging wildlife.

Work for a Wildlife Non-Profit/NGO

There are many private non-profit organizations across the country whose mission is to study and conserve wildlife populations. Most of these organizations could benefit from veterinary and wildlife health expertise, especially organizations that do work involving capturing wild individuals for research studies.  

This can be a great way to get started in the field of free-ranging wildlife health and gain experience.  Even if the organization does not currently have the need/ability to hire a vet, volunteering your veterinary expertise to help their mission can at least get your foot in the door.

Many of these organizations would welcome having someone of your skillset involved!  And the barrier to entry into these organizations can be much lower than other jobs in government or academia.

Through demonstrating what you bring to the table as a veterinarian and the value you can add to their organization, you may be able to grow a volunteer position into a full-time paid position. 

I used this approach myself when I was early in my career. I was trying to break into the field of wildlife health, so I spent a few months volunteering some of my time to assist a non-profit wildlife research organization (Biodiversity Research Institute).

Using my veterinary skills, I provided necropsies on dead birds they were studying, I reviewed their sampling protocols and expanded the health information they were able to obtain from the wild animals they were studying, and I provided consultation on various health and disease concerns. 

Because my contributions were valuable to the organization, a few month later they hired me full time. I then went on to develop a Wildlife Health Program within the organization.  Essentially, I ended up creating my own job! 

Even if the volunteer position doesn’t grow into paid employment, you will be gaining valuable skills, experience, and connections in the wildlife field that you can leverage in your next career steps.

Consider a Position as a Biologist

Some positions designed for wildlife biologists could greatly benefit from veterinary expertise, so be open minded and explore some of these job opportunities.

A great example of this is Dr. Melody Roelke-Parker, a veterinarian that accepted a job as a wildlife biologist for the State of Florida.  She was able to apply her veterinary knowledge to study endangered Florida panthers, identifying and working to offset health concerns caused by inbreeding in the population. 

By demonstrating the value of veterinary expertise to the agency’s goals, the state later created specific positions for wildlife veterinarians as part of their Wildlife Health Program.

Side note: Florida Fish & Wildlife currently offers wildlife health externships and volunteer positions

Become Self-Employed

This is something you’ll probably want to consider after you’ve already got some good experience under your belt, but it’s another example of a non-tradition career path.

Many wildlife vets out there have gone on to create their own organizations in the field of wildlife health. Some vets develop a particular niche that they specialize in, and they offer these skills to other agencies or organizations studying wildlife. Some examples include:

• Providing training and field services for chemical immobilization and field anesthesia of wildlife

• Providing training and field services for sampling procedures

• Specializing in wildlife field surgery and advancing techniques for specific procedures (such as surgically implanted tracking devices, or surgical sterilization of deer for non-lethal population control)

Other vets have gone on to start their own non-profit organizations in wildlife health and conservation.

The Downsides to Becoming a Free-Ranging Wildlife Veterinarian

• Your veterinary salary will likely be lower than what you would earn in private practice, especially if you are employed in the non-profit sector.

• Your job may involve lots of travel and time away from your family and significant other.

• You may need to relocate at least once or several times for jobs as you advance in your career.

• Your schedule can be unpredictable at times, and will change based on field seasons.

• Your job may involve quite a bit of desk work in between field projects.

• You may have long stretches where you’re not directly handling any animals, and overall your job will involve less clinical work compared to a vet in rehabilitation, private practice, or zoos/aquariums.

How Do I Get Experience and What Training Do I Need?

If reading this article has you jazzed up about becoming a free-ranging wildlife vet and the downsides listed above haven’t deterred you, here’s some info on how to start exploring this potential career path.

Education and Training for Wildlife Veterinarians

As we mentioned in our Wildlife Health Career Paths article, students interested in becoming a wildlife vet will still need to complete a standard 4-year veterinary degree program after their undergraduate Bachelor’s degree.  You will need to be knowledgeable in the fields of domestic animal health in order to pass your veterinary board exams and become licensed as a vet.

Because of this, the vast majority of your education will focus on domestic animals, and it’s largely up to you to gain additional training in wildlife and ecosystem heath outside the standard curriculum.

A 2006 publication in the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education surveyed employers and wildlife veterinarians to identify training and educational needs in this field.

They found that few wildlife veterinarians believed the training they received in vet school adequately prepared them. Wildlife veterinarians and their employers ranked the following types of training as most important:

• Mentorship with an experienced wildlife veterinarian

• Training in leadership and communication

• Courses and externships in wildlife health

• Additional formal training beyond the veterinary degree (PhD, M.S., Board Certification in Zoologic Medicine, Pathology, or another relevant specialty)

Do I really need an advanced degree or board certification?

All the employers surveyed in paper referenced above were from either government agencies or academia, which are both sectors that are far more likely to require additional advanced degrees or board certification when hiring for a veterinary position.

That being said, many vets that focus of free-ranging wildlife health do have an advanced degree (M.S. or PhD in epidemiology, ecology, or related field) in addition to their veterinary DVM degree. 

Students can obtain these advanced degrees before, during, or after veterinary school. Some veterinary schools offer combined DVM/PhD, DVM/M.S., or DVM/MPH (public health) degrees. This is a great option, but it will lengthen the time it takes to finish vet school (5+ years typically).

If you are specifically interested in free-ranging wildlife health, UC Davis has recently started a 3-year Residency Program in Free-Ranging Wildlife Health for veterinarians interested in building a career in wildlife health. This program specifically aims to prepare veterinarians for a career working as a state wildlife veterinarian.

But if pursuing a PhD/M.S. or board certification is NOT something you’re interested in or able to do, an alternative career in the private non-profit/NGO sector may be a good place for you to start your career.

Student Opportunities & Ways to Get Experience in Free-Ranging Wildlife Health

Get involved in a wildlife health research project

Some schools have student research grant programs that allow students design and conduct their own research.

For example, while I was in vet school, I received a student summer research grant that paid for me to travel to Zambia to work with Wildlife Conservation Society studying wildlife health. 

But you don’t have to jet off to somewhere exotic, you can design a research project studying local wildlife in your area.

If conducting your own research project isn’t an option, see if you can work with a faculty member at your school to assist with their research. Co-authoring a scientific publication while you are a student is a great boost to your resume!

Explore externship, internship, and volunteer opportunities

Association of Wildlife Veterinarians maintains an extensive and updated list of student opportunities to gain veterinary experience in free-ranging wildlife health.  

You can also visit our Student Opportunities Page

Final Thoughts…We’re Here to Help!

In this age of unprecedented environmental change, we NEED more wildlife health professionals to join the fight. 

Our goal is to help support the next generation and help YOU find your own unique career path.

We’re here to help! Join our email list so we can stay in touch, and don’t be afraid to reach out to me directly at michelle@wildlifehealth.org

Michelle Kneeland, DVM
Wildlife Veterinarian
Founder, WildlifeHealth.org