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(Photo courtesy of Zoo Miami)
Zoo Miami Foundation recently announced that it received a $500,000 appropriation from the State of Florida for Zoo Miami’s new animal hospital.
The funding was sponsored by State Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez and State Rep. Anthony Rodriguez. State Sen. Annette Taddeo, who sits on the Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Committee, helped secure the funding request. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission will assign the state funds to Zoo Miami.
Zoo Miami’s current animal hospital opened in 1986 with one veterinarian, one technician and served less than 1,000 animals. Today there are four vets, four techs, and support staff who manage the healthcare of more than 3,000 animals from 500 species, of which 150 are listed as vulnerable, threatened, endangered or critically endangered.
The zoo also serves as a triage point for injured native endangered animals in collaboration with government wildlife agencies and as a safe haven for vulnerable avian and other species during severe storms.
The hospital is the nerve center for the zoo. The facility contains surgical and exam rooms, radiology, a basic research laboratory, in- and outdoor recovery rooms, and offices.
With a new facility, more laboratory tests can be done in-house to save on costs, and the vet team will be able to treat a greater scope of animals with proper equipment, hospitalization, and recovery areas.
The goal always has been to provide premium care for all of the animals, with particular focus on the critically significant and endangered species house at the zoo. In order to offer premium care, it is essential to have an experienced veterinary team (already in place) and an animal care facility that meets today’s modern standards followed by other Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) institutions and private state-of-the-art veterinary hospitals.
With minimal updates over the past 30 years, general wear and tear and with the growth of number of animals and species, Zoo Miami must build a new veterinary hospital. The new hospital will enable the animal health team to provide the best possible care in an environment that meets the needs of the staff and the animals. And with the construction of a new sea turtle rehab facility on zoo grounds, the hospital will provide vital diagnostics and treatment resources.
The new animal hospital also will allow Zoo Miami to better support state efforts to control invasive species (the zoo is the preferred site for surgical procedures involving invasive reptile species research); provide federally endangered Florida bonneted bats with medical/rehab care (injured/sick bats are transported for assessment/therapy); assist in rescue/rehab of federally endangered Florida panthers (the zoo participates in captures/studies with National Park Service and Florida Fish and Wildlife teams); augment care of injured/sick federally threatened American crocodiles (staff expertise, geographic location, and unique holding infrastructure is a critical resource for FWC and USFWS); provide emergency medical care to federally endangered Key Largo wood rats during reintroduction efforts; do testing and screening protocols that serve as vital monitoring for new/emerging pathogens that threaten human health and agricultural industry, and attract vet students to further their education in the hospital.
“We are grateful to Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, Rep. Anthony Rodriguez, Sen. Annette Taddeo and the rest of the Dade Delegation for their support in this animal hospital appropriation,” said Eric Eikenberg, chair of the board for Zoo Miami Foundation.
“Without the support of our state’s administration, we would not have the necessary funding needed for the new hospital that will provide state-of-the-art medical facilities for our effective and talented vet team to provide excellent care for our animals,” said Bill Moore, president and CEO of Zoo Miami Foundation.
For more information and to offer your support, contact Ron Stayton, Chief development officer, Zoo Miami Foundation, at 305-255-5551 or rstayton@zoomiami.org.
