What’s the best career path to working in the field of wildlife health?
The answer is- it depends! It really comes down to your own personal interests and passions, but also what is feasible for you in terms of time and financial investment. There is no single right path to pursuing wildlife health careers, and there are pros and cons to each.
This is meant to be an introductory guide for students who are specifically interested in the field of wildlife health and disease, whether you are interested in veterinary medicine, biological sciences, or both! This will hopefully give you some ideas and general information to serve as a starting place as you explore your options.
But remember everyone’s career trajectory will be different, and you should never be afraid to forge your own unique path!
Note: 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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Wildlife Health Careers in Veterinary Medicine
Veterinarians make important contributions to the field of wildlife health by studying and treating a wide range of wildlife species, from invertebrates and fish to amphibians, reptiles and mammals. Veterinarians in wildlife health also investigate the complex interactions between animals, humans, and their shared environment. This is the concept of One Health.
Wildlife health veterinarians often collaborate with many other health professionals (such as other veterinarians, epidemiologists, physicians, public health officials), as well as wildlife managers, wildlife biologists, conservation biologists, ecologists, engineers, business leaders, private citizens, and policy makers.
Examples of wildlife veterinarians include:
1) Free-Ranging Wildlife Veterinarians
2) Zoo Veterinarians
3) Wildlife Rehabilitation Veterinarians
As we’ll discuss below, many wildlife vets work across all 3 of these fields and use their skillset to work with wild species both in captivity and out in the wild. Be aware that for many jobs in these fields, there may be other educational requirements in addition to your veterinary degree, such as board certification or an M.S./ PhD (more on that below).
Free-Ranging Wildlife Veterinarians
For comprehensive information on becoming a free-ranging wildlife veterinarian, refer to our article: Becoming a Wildlife Veterinarian
Some examples of work that free-ranging wildlife vets specialize in include: 1) conservation of wildlife through studying and diagnosing causes of disease, mortality, and large-scale die-offs, 2) management actions to promote healthy wildlife populations, 3) restoring numbers of endangered species, and 4) protecting humans, domestic animals, and wildlife from infectious agents or toxic chemicals.
Veterinarians in free-ranging wildlife health work in state and federal agencies (such as state wildlife agencies, USGS, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and National Park Service), academic, institutions, wildlife diagnostic labs, and private non-profits/NGOs
For a map of organizations around the U.S. involved in wildlife health work, visit our Wildlife Health Centers page.
Many vets that focus of free-ranging wildlife health, particularly those working in state and federal agencies or in academic institutions, also 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.
Student internships, externships, and other opportunities in free-ranging wildlife health:
Association of Wildlife Veterinarians maintains an updated list of student opportunities to gain veterinary experience in free-ranging wildlife health. (Note- many of these are designed for veterinary students).
You can also visit our Student Opportunities Page
Zoo Veterinarians
Zoo Vets are responsible for overseeing the husbandry and medical care of captive wildlife species in zoos, aquariums, and wildlife parks. In addition to caring for captive animals, zoo veterinarians support free-ranging wildlife health through research and field work, generally with a focus on species found in the zoo’s collection. Zoos also use veterinary expertise in support of captive breeding programs for threatened/endangered species reintroduction programs and species survival plans.
Becoming a Zoo Vet requires strong commitment. Most larger zoos are currently looking to hire vets that are board certified in Zoological Medicine, meaning you will need 4+ years of additional internship and residency training after your veterinary degree in order to be competitive for these positions. But some smaller zoos will hire vets that are not board certified, and there are still a large number of vets that work in zoos without board certification. Overall, Zoo Vet positions can be quite competitive, so gaining lots of experience and connections in this field early on in your career is critical.
Student internships, externships, and other opportunities in zoo medicine:
American Association of Zoo Veterinarians- Veterinary Student Externship Page
Association of Zoos & Aquariums Job Board (includes internship postings for both vet students and undergrads)
Wildlife Rehabilitation
Veterinarians work in a wide array of wildlife rehabilitation facilities. The work involves both hands-on medicine and surgery for rescued wildlife presented for treatment as well as population health studies based on data collected from those animals. Veterinarians in this role may be employed full time in larger wildlife rehab clinics with more resources, or for smaller clinics they may work part-time or volunteer their time to help with treatment of more complicated cases or surgeries as needed.
You do not need to be a veterinarian to be a wildlife rehabilitator, but you do need to become licensed to treat wild animals. For more info on how to become a licensed wildlife rehabber, visit the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association website.
Student internships, externships, and other opportunities in wildlife rehabilitation:
The National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association is a good place to start to search for wildlife rehab clinics in your area that may be offering internships or volunteer opportunities.
If you are considering veterinary school after your undergraduate degree, read more about the requirements here: Vet School Admissions 101
Wildlife Health Careers in the Biological Sciences
Many wildlife health specialists are not veterinarians, but they have specialized training in wildlife ecology with a focus on wildlife diseases or a related field. Researchers from many different fields are involved in the study and preservation of wildlife health. Some of these fields may include biology, ecology, microbiology, epidemiology, toxicology, parasitology, modeling, economics, regulation, sociology, and public health.
These degrees are offered at a variety of universities across North America, as well as internationally. Being at an institution with strong wildlife programs both for undergraduate and graduate students may provide you with more opportunities to gain experience working with wildlife while still in school. It can also be beneficial to have access to mentorship from faculty members involved in wildlife research.
Many jobs in the wildlife health field require further education such as a M.S. or PhD. Most advanced degrees involve several semesters of coursework, project design, a period of fieldwork to collect samples and data, lab work, and data analysis.
These are a few examples of universities in the United States offering advanced degrees related to wildlife health:
University of California, Davis (Wildlife Epidemiology M.S. and PhD)
University of Georgia (Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study)
Montana State University- Bozeman Disease Ecology Lab
University of Tennessee Center for Wildlife Health
University of Maine-Wildlife Disease Genetics
Tufts University MS in Conservation Medicine (program open to students from all fields, not just veterinary medicine)
University of Florida Aquatic Animal Health
Wildlife health specialists can be employed by state wildlife agencies and federal agencies (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Park Service, USGS), academic institutions, or non-profits/ NGOs.
For a map of organizations around the U.S. involved in wildlife health work, visit our Wildlife Health Centers page.
The Wildlife Disease Association (WDA) also has great resources for students interested in wildlife health careers. Many schools have their own WDA student chapters.
Which Career Path is Right for You?
We’ve discussed how an education in either veterinary medicine or biological sciences can lead to rewarding wildlife health careers, but which is right for you?
Choosing a biological sciences career path has some advantages over pursuing a veterinary degree. You may reduce your total education time and have less student loans, which are both sizeable for veterinary school. During veterinary school, you are expected to learn about all species, and the vast majority of your education will focus on the treatment of domestic animals such as dogs, cats, and farm animals (not wildlife). Even if you are only interested in wildlife, you will still 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.
On the other hand, if you are interested in the diagnosis and medical treatment of animals (both wildlife and domestic animals), a veterinary degree might be the right path. A veterinary degree is also very versatile. Once you are a licensed veterinarian, you have the ability to treat a wide range of species (not just wildlife) including domestic pets, exotic pets, horses, food producing animals, or laboratory animals. This gives you the option of earning an income while working in a veterinary practice treating domestic animals as you are pursuing a career with wildlife. It may take some time to find a full time position in the wildlife field, so having the ability to work and earn a decent income as a veterinarian can be helpful.
A Few Tips For Students Pursuing Wildlife Health Careers…
Tip #1:
No matter which path you take, experience and connections in the field are key. Get involved as an intern, research assistant, or volunteer as early as possible.
Tip #2:
If you find a professional or an organization out there that is doing the type of work that really interests you, reach out to them! Even if you don’t have a connection and they don’t have a job/internship posted, there is nothing wrong with reaching out and introducing yourself via email.
Include a short bio about yourself (where you currently go to school, your specific interests, and why their work particularly excites you), and attach a copy of your resume/CV. Ask if there might be an opportunity for you to volunteer or work with them. The worst that can happen is you get no response or they say no, but sometimes this can lead to great opportunities!
Tip #3:
Undergraduate research experience will significantly strengthen your application for vet school/grad school/ job opportunities. Work with your professors to identify research projects you may be able to get involved in and work towards co-authoring at least one paper for a scientific journal.
