Just like humans, animals can get sick, too. They can contract diseases, break bones, and get scrapes and bruises, and just like humans, animals also need medical attention. But where do exotic animals, like giraffes and gazelle, go for treatment?

The Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park is the answer. This animal hospital was built specifically for big birds and hoofed animals. Before the actual building was made, a team of vets went around the world looking at all different kinds of animal hospitals to see how they could make the Wild Animal Park’s hospital ideal.

When the vets had realized what they wanted in a hospital, they sent out the word to several different organizations that might contribute to the cause. One of the main contributors was Paul Harter, who donated $4 million out of a total of $20 million. Since he provided the biggest donation, the hospital was named after him.

Since the creation of the hospital, the skilled team of nutritionists and vets have treated a great number of animals. At the hospital, surgeries and x-rays are performed, as well as blood testing and diet revision for certain animals. Every time an animal is brought in, the vets make sure that they are comfortable as can be. Jess Thompson, an educational tour guide for the Wild Animal Park, says that the animals are kept in stalls with hay and dirt, which is very relaxing for them.

But of course getting an animal into the hospital is a little more work than taking a human into a hospital. Vets have to drug the animals with tranquilizer darts, because the animals aren’t used to being outside of their enclosure. The tranquilizers that the vets use are 10,000 more times powerful than morphine and can be fatal to humans. Different tranquilizers are used for different animals so that the vets can bring them in, but some animals are just too big and get treatment in their enclosures. It’s impossible to fit the adult giraffes, rhinos, and elephants in the building, so the vets do their very best to make sure that the larger animals are all right.

Overall, the animals at the Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center are treated extremely well. It was great to see how each individual animal is treated with special care, and especially how science has a key role in saving lives of animals. What really impressed me was the dedication of the staff to the animals. From the nutritionists to the surgeons they, all of them, love and care for the animals just as they would a human. Going to the animal hospital was a truly touching experience, as well as an informative one.

Laura is a high school intern at the San Diego Zoo

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