My name is Matthew Donato, and I am a fourth year veterinary student at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. I have always had a strong passion for zoos and wildlife ever since I can remember. Much of my childhood was spent glued to Animal Planet, trying to soak up all I could about the natural world. Throughout veterinary school, I have been hoping for opportunities where I could get hands-on experience in a facility that housed a variety of wildlife species. One of the veterinarians here at Fossil Rim, Dr. Julie Swenson, had taught an Introduction to Zoological Medicine course during my third year of veterinary school. Enrolling in that course opened my eyes to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center and all the amazing animals at this large landscape facility. I was fortunate enough to be able to complete a 6-week preceptorship here, and make lifetime memories over the past few weeks.
I have been able to assist, hands on, in field anesthesia on different hoof stock species to treat them for various conditions, which has been a really unique experience. It requires extensive planning and coordination between both the Animal Health and Animal Care teams, to ensure that the animal is taken care of in the safest way possible. I have always loved rhinoceros and giraffes, and during my time here I was also able to assist in procedures with both. The highlight of my time at Fossil Rim has been my time working with the cheetahs. Axl, an 8-year-old male cheetah, has been dealing with some intense seasonal allergies and required some treatments to help him feel better. We put him under brief anesthesia in order to assess his allergies and give him the proper care he needed. The younger me, who would watch cheetahs run across my television screen on Animal Planet, would not believe that I was now right next to one providing medical care.
I can now go into the rest of my fourth year of veterinary school with some fantastic experience with me. And even more so, a deeper sense of purpose to pursue the field of zoological veterinary medicine, in the hopes of advocating for education and conservation of these amazing animals like Fossil Rim has done all these years.