The University of California- Davis
The largest of the nation's 27
veterinary institutions, the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine is California's only
veterinary school. The School is also the primary health resource for California's
animals: companion animals, livestock and wildlife. Unique partnerships with California's
agriculture, health, and environmental agencies maximize the state and university
activities and personnel who protect our animal resources and encourage the development of
new knowledge. Some programs are publicly funded; others are completely supported by
private gifts.
Goal of the
Wildlife Health Center's Graduate Program
To prepare students for
leadership roles in wildlife health and conservation by providing them with the skills and
the ecological perspectives needed to effectively address the multi-faceted issues
affecting the health and sustainability of wildlife populations and the environment.
The
Wildlife Health Center
is a multidisciplinary program within the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis that
focuses on the health of free-ranging and captive terrestrial and aquatic wild animals. It
is the umbrella organization under which faculty, staff, students, and other partners come
together to address the complex issues surrounding conservation in a changing world. The
Center draws upon faculty expertise spanning a wide
range of wildlife species and scientific disciplines and attracts students from around the
world to participate in its research and educational programs.
The Wildlife Health Center
does not rehabilitate injured wildlife.
The Center was
conceived in 1992 to build upon and foster the continued development of wildlife health
activities within the SVM. A variety of wildlife-related activities and programs preceded
or coincided with the development of the WHC, including the Veterinary Medicine Teaching
Hospital (VMTH) Zoological Medicine program, Raptor Center, Marine Mammal Immunology
Program, Oiled Wildlife Care Network, and Wildlife Health Program. The wildlife health
educational program within the School of Veterinary Medicine was initiated with funding
from the Pew Charitable Trust in 1990 and focuses on veterinary medical training in
wildlife health.
The Oiled
Wildlife Care Network, a collaborative program between the California Department of Fish
and Game, Office of Spill Prevention and Response and the School of Veterinary Medicine,
came to the WHC in 1994. Most of the daily administrative activities for the Network were
coordinated by the WHC until July 1998, when the SVM received a direct appropriation from
the governor's budget to administer the program.
The WHC was
more formally structured in July 1998. Dr. Walter M. Boyce and Dr. Jonna A.K. Mazet were
appointed as co-directors to refine and develop the programs of the WHC and serve as
advocates for the Center and its faculty.
Programs
Marine
Ecosystem Health Program
Marine Ecosystem Health Annual Competitive Grants Program
Southern California Ecosystem Health Program
Oiled Wildlife Care Network
Envirovet Summer Institute
Wildlife Health Externship
Wildlife Health Annual Competitive Grants Program
Wildlife Veterinary Services
Future plans
Future plans for the Center
call for construction of an expanded complex that will facilitate collaboration among its
participants and continue to allow the Center to enhance the conservation and health of
animals in the environment. All of the Center's activities, including construction of new
facilities, are jointly supported by private and public funds. |