GOVERNMENT
Years ago, as a young vet working in mixed practice first in Australia and then Britain, Dr Benn Bryant routinely encountered the small animals that people keep as pets.
These days, as senior veterinarian at Taronga Western Plains Zoo, many of his patients are much larger.
An acknowledged expert on rhinoceros – he describes them as ancient, charismatic beasts under great threat – he is involved with day to day care of the huge animals at Dubbo and part of an international effort to save the rare Sumatran rhino from extinction.
On call to assist the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary manage medical problems and reproduction, he regularly visits Indonesia and has travelled to Africa to work on projects with rhinos and other large animals.
Bryant says zoo vets need broad expertise to deal with the variety of animals under their care.
"Day to day work throws up all sorts of interesting challenges and we often have to be quite resourceful in addressing them. We are the ultimate generalists, able to manage health issues in amphibians, insects, marine and terrestrial mammals, reptiles – all the different sorts of animals." Zoos have undergone "a seismic shift from the time when their focus was on maintaining exotic animals as a spectacle". Now they have an important agenda of educating the public and promoting the conservation of species, he says.
Bryant grew up in Sydney in a pet loving family with farming friends. He studied at the University of Sydney and describes veterinary science courses as "a fabulous ticket to a wide range of career options" that can include clinical practice, caring for pets and production animals; working with wildlife; and animal management, disease investigation, policy, research and academic roles.
During his studies he undertook a placement at Sydney's Taronga Zoo and working with injured wildlife formed part of his early clinical practice in Australia and his four years based in rural parts of Britain. "I came back feeling I'd consolidated my skills and having decided I would secure a place in zoo work."
Volunteering with keepers at Taronga Zoo in Sydney gave him a feel for zoo animal husbandry and management and he says good working relationships with keepers are vital for zoo vets: "The animal keepers are the expert carers who report observations and departures from normal that can give you clues on animal health issues." Locum work at the zoo followed and led to casual jobs at Melbourne Zoo, Western Plains and a residency back in Sydney which included masters' level studies in wildlife medicine and husbandry. He took up his Dubbo position 15 years ago.
Bryant says students and young vets aspiring to work in zoos and wildlife settings should get the widest possible experience of working with animals of all sizes and species.
"Wild animals often exhibit what experts call a preservation reflex, avoiding showing weakness or discomfort. The mechanism aids survival in the wild but can make treating wild animals challenging." Bryant says it is important to be able to identify subtle signs of poor health and, because wild animals have a well-developed fight or flight response, anaesthesia is a key skill.
"We work with precious and irreplaceable animals," he says.