" When you major in zoology you become part of an endeavour which started with the first humans - understanding animals."
" Ecology is where science and nature meet and ecology is the science of the next century. This is because understanding our environment is crucial to our continued survival as a species."
Wildlife Health and Zoo Medicine
Day-to-day activities include:
- caring for wildlife or zoo animals
- consultancy
- ecosystem management
- performing conservation research
- wildlife management
Careers in the industry include:
- Border security
- Universities or Crown Research Institutes
- Department of Conservation
- Environmental consultancy companies
- Fish and Game Councils
- Ministry for the Environment
- Pest control agencies
- Regional councils
- Teaching
- Wildlife rehabilitation centres
- Wildlife veterinarian
- Zoo keeper
- Zoo veterinarian
Training to be a member of the industry
Massey University offers a variety of programmes from which graduates can enter careers dealing with wildlife and zoo animals.
The BSc (Biological Sciences) provides a foundation for a variety of careers. Some scientists conduct basic research to increase the knowledge of living organisms, while those in applied areas use this knowledge to manage and protect the natural environment, improve agriculture and develop new medicines.
- The BSc (Physiology) provides students detailed knowledge of how the body systems of animals and humans function. This knowledge can be used to understand such things as how wildlife reproduce in the hope of stimulating breeding of endangered animals ("conservation endocrinology").
- The BSc (Zoology) looks at animals on a number of scales including the molecular level, the whole animal level and the animal as a component of an ecosystem.
- Preservation of healthy habitat is the most important step in the preservation of wildlife and it is the interaction of organisms and the environment that is the focus of graduates from the BSc (ecology) programme.
- Students wishing to learn about the health and care of wildlife and exotic animals can gain this knowledge through the veterinary science or veterinary nursing programmes at Massey University.
"If we don't care about wildlife, what do we care about?"
