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Texas A&M formally opened a wildlife and exotic animal clinic where
these type of animals receive the care they need from students.
Dr. Jim Jensen, a clinical associate professor of zoological medicine,
said A&M has studied wildlife and exotic animals in the past.The program,
however, has grown so much in the past three years that A&M formally
identified it as a new area of study in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
The wildlife clinic receives animals in need of care from zoos and pri
vate ranches, as well as from individual pet owners.
“We get a good number of wildlife and exotic animal cases,” Jensen
said. “We treat a diverse group of animals from hawks to snakes, from
white-tail deer fawns to ostriches. Anything that is wild and is sick or in
jured, we will treat them.”
The clinic is run similarly to any other veterinarian clinic, he said.
However, the students and staff of A&M’s clinic are responsible for find
ing new homes for the animals.
“Usually that means we release them back into the wild,” he said. “We
have had some animals that were hand-raised so when they’re healed they
won’t do well released out into the wild.”
He also said that when this happens, the Texas Park and Wildlife Re
serve will arrange a home for the animals.
Because animal industries are developing around exotic animals, veter
inary students need to be informed about these types of animals, he said.
Also, the students are learning more about avian (bird) medicine. Stu
dents and faculty keep the birds in a breeding situation so the clinic can
expand its teaching capabilities and the students can have hands-on experi
ence because of additional birds. Jensen said.
“Avian medicine is growing very rapidly,” he said. “It is probably the
most rapidly growing area in veterinary medicine.”
Story by Elizabeth Tisch
Photos by Sondra N. Robbins
Ian Cooper (left) and Sue Brooks, receptionist at the clinic, work to lift Blackie, a male ostrich re-
couperattng from leg injuries, into a standing position.