Powerful Owl Chicks

A Black Rhino calf is born at Taronga Western Plains Zoo as staff at Taronga’s Wildlife hospital work to save two orphaned Powerful Owl chicks. A seal undergoes cataract surgery at Sea World while Adelaide Zoo awaits the arrival of some very special Giant Pandas.

After a couple of months of rehabilitation at Taronga’s Wildlife Hospital the Powerful Owls had put on enough weight and were confident in flying, so it was time for them to return to suburbia.

The owls were taken to Bayview golf course where they were found, local residents knew that a tree with a large hollow in it was their nest and had sighted the parents the night before.

Where do you work at the zoo?

I work with all the different sections at Taronga Zoo: Wildlife Hospital, Australian Mammals, Birds, Ungulates.

Animals:  All bird species at Taronga Zoo and most bird species.  Rhinos, giraffes, hippos, eland, nocturnal animals, Australian fauna (platypus, echidnas, wombats, macropods, dasyurids etc) are all species that have been sick,

How long have you been working as a vet?

I have been a zoo vet since 1998.  I began my zoo career at Gladys Porter Zoo, Texas which is nicely nestled on the border of Mexico. During my 7 years there, I gradually worked my way up to head veterinarian.