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While most vets dedicate their careers to caring for our domestic pets,
Dr Glenn Edwards from the University of Melbourne's Faculty of Veterinary Science
has a different suite of patients that include
some of the largest and most dangerous animals in the world.
I've done surgery on Giraffes, an Elephant, Tigers, Lions, Macaw, Spider Monkeys,
Orangutans, Seals, Snakes and many others.
Every animal and even the birds have similar muscle structure and bone structures
and it's just a matter of adapting to the different sizes and physiology.
Dr Glenn Edwards has operated on a vast array of species with Zoos Victoria
and his experience and passion for wildlife surgery is a real asset
to the University of Melbourne's Faculty of Veterinary Science.
Dr Edward's work with the zoo is part of a unique partnership
established between the University of Melbourne and Zoos Victoria.
The partnership allows expertise in veterinary care to be shared.
I think the partnership between the University of Melbourne and
Melbourne Zoo is really important and it's a two-way relationship.
We gain a lot from our interaction with the zoo from the point of view
of exposing the students to a lot of the zoo surgery and medicine.
But also obviously the zoo benefits from the point of view that
we're able to provide a number of the services that we do
both in the surgical field and also some of the imaging that we do
with our ultrasound and x-ray equipment that we have.
Dr Edward's most recent patient was Suma,
a 32 year old Orangutan from Melbourne zoo
who developed a mass on her backside.
Dr Edwards was able to remove it and she has now made a full recovery
and is back with her family.
Care of these zoo animals is not only important for individual animal health
but is also for conservation reasons.
Quite a number of the procedures we do down here at the zoo are
with animals that are endangered and it's important that we
ensure their longevity as a species and as an individual animal
to keep the population going within the zoos
and also allow them to breed and continue.
To ensure the care for such endangered species continues to develop,
Dr Edwards mentors students interested in this field.
The students from the University of Melbourne
undergoing training at the veterinary school
often come down with me in small groups.
The zoo's very kind in allowing us to do this and it gives them exposure
to the surgical principals in a wide range of species.