HOUSTON – With more than 100 years in existence and more than 6,000 permanent animal residents, the Houston Zoo has become one of the best zoos on the planet. It’s not just the number and variety of animals that sets it apart, it’s also the zoo’s commitment to help save animals in the wild. The zoo actively supports more than 49 different wildlife conservation projects in 27 countries, which means every time you visit the zoo you’re helping animals around the globe.
Houston Life was invited for a visit inside one of the Houston Zoo’s exam rooms to observe while a monocled cobra was checked out for a lump it recently developed. It’s just one of the hundreds of different types of animals that staff veterinarian Dr. Melissa Hanson sees every week.
“Every single case is different. Every species is super different. So, I think a skill of somebody who works in the zoo field and in the veterinary field is to be flexible,” said Dr. Hanson.
When it comes to some of the largest zoo residents, the elephants, the Houston Zoo is doing groundbreaking work to combat elephant endothelial tropic herpes virus, a common illness among Asian elephants and increasing in African elephants.
“This virus, when a young elephant is exposed to it, sort of in the first period of its life when it’s very vulnerable, it has the potential to cause a potentially fatal disease. So it’s a disease of the blood vessels, and can, unfortunately, can lead to the death of an animal if it’s not treated very, very quickly,” Dr. Hanson explained.
Through a partnership with Baylor, the Houston Zoo is not only learning more about EEHV and how it progresses, they’re developing a plasma bank for elephants. When an elephant is diagnosed with the disease, the plasma can then be shipped to partners around the country to provide sick elephants with potentially life-saving transfusions.
Every day at the Houston Zoo, the staff works hard to ensure the animals here are in good health. It’s a big job but Dr. Hanson says it’s what keeps her motivated.
“Zoo veterinarians are really driven by conservation efforts, and that is what brought me into the zoo field to begin with. I wanted to have an impact beyond just the clinic walls and make sure that my work was actually contributing to the health and welfare of animals across the globe.”
To learn more about the Houston Zoo, visit their website.