In this career interview, we talk to Gemma Crowley, a wildlife vet nurse currently working at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital. We talk about her journey working with animals around the world, the doors it has opened back home as well as her aspirations to work within a zoo environment.
Looking to work as a Vet Nurse in a Zoo?
Career Interview; Becoming a Wildlife Vet Nurse
Can you tell us a little about your Veterinary Nursing career so far?
I graduated from The Royal Veterinary College with a BSc (Hons) in Veterinary Nursing in July 2016. Throughout my degree, I developed a strong passion for wildlife nursing and conservation.
During my final year of university I attended a 2-week veterinary course in the Eastern Cape, South Africa called Vets Go Wild which sparked my interest in conservation medicine.
This led to my undertaking a Master’s degree in Wild Animal Biology at The Royal Veterinary College in collaboration with The Zoological Society of London. During my masters I went back to the Eastern Cape to complete a four-month veterinary wildlife internship, working with a range of African wildlife and conducting valuable research on the near-threatened white rhino.
After my Masters, I spent some time working in general practice before embarking on a 6-month volunteering trip across South East Asia, Australasia, and Fiji working with some of the world’s most endangered species such as pangolins, Asian elephants, sea turtles, and the critically endangered kakapo.
On returning to the UK I worked in a busy small animal practice where I reignited a passion for nursing British wildlife casualties. I currently work at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital as a wildlife nurse, nursing sick, injured, and orphaned British wildlife.
Why did you decide you wanted to take the route you are on now?
I’ve always had a passion for wildlife and conservation but even as a child I knew that a career in the veterinary industry was the one for me. Being able to combine my passion for nursing and my love of wildlife is a dream come true, whether that’s in my full-time role as a wildlife Vet Nurse or in my spare time volunteering with wildlife abroad.
Being able to provide veterinary care for sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife is so rewarding, particularly seeing patients through from initial triage to release.
Did you need to undertake any further training or qualifications to get into the role of a Wildlife Veterinary Nurse?
I gained my MSc in WAB prior to my current role as a wildlife nurse and the understanding of ecology certainly helps, without basic ecology of the species you are working with it’s very difficult to create a successful care plan.
There are lots of courses out there, I would love to complete my advanced programme in exotics nursing one day.
Can you tell us a little bit about some of the Veterinary work you have undertaken abroad?
Some of the highlights of my career have been abroad with both wildlife and working with domestic animals.
In South Africa, I spent the majority of my internship working with the big 5, as well as antelope, zebra, giraffe, and wildebeest. Most of the work involved darting and translocation between reserves, as well as emergency work such as attending rhino poachings and battling the rhino crisis, rescuing wildlife stuck in snares, and relocating escapees.
In Asia, I worked with charities helping rescue and protect some of the world’s most endangered and trafficked animals – pangolins – to this day they are one of my favourite species to work with. As well as pangolins, I helped hand rear wildlife rescued from the illegal wildlife trade including a baby Asian short-clawed otter. I also had the opportunity to work with Asian elephants, treating those that had been subject to land mine injuries and those rescued from the elephant riding and logging industries.
In Australia, I helped nurse and rehabilitate sea turtles that had ingested plastic, had been trapped in netting, struck by boats, or attacked by sharks.
In New Zealand, I was lucky enough to work with some of their incredible, endangered birdlife at Auckland Zoo, including kakapo and kiwis, as well as the other species at the zoo and local aquarium.
Finally, in Fiji I worked with an amazing animal charity, rescuing, neutering, and providing veterinary care to the island’s pets and farm animals.
What does an average day as a Wildlife Vet Nurse look like for you?
Our shifts are split into days and nights. On days, 8 am-7 pm, we treat and examine all the patients in the hospital, assist the vet with surgical procedures and diagnostics, and one nurse is assigned triage. This nurse triages all the incoming casualties that day, splinting fractures, placing patients on IVs, providing analgesia and antibiotics, taking emergency x-rays, cleaning and packing wounds, and monitors them throughout the day in our new admissions ward.
On nights, 7 pm-8 am, you are responsible for all the animals at the hospital and all those casualties that get brought in overnight, as well as answering the phone for advice and organising rescues. For example, if a member of the public calls at 3 am after hitting a deer, you take the details, find a rescuer in that area willing to collect the deer, once the deer arrives you assess the injuries, take x-rays, place them on fluids, splint any fractures and clean/dress any wounds, and provide them with analgesia and antibiotics, or if the injuries are too extensive eg a fracture spine, you make the decision to euthanise.
What do you enjoy most about your job now? And are there any downsides?
I love the variety of species I get to work with every day, from the tiniest field mouse or a blue tit, all the way up to the majestic fallow deer or red kite. I have always enjoyed the ECC aspect of nursing and working in a wildlife hospital you never know what is going to walk through the door which is such a thrill. I also really enjoy releasing patients once they have finished and recovered from their treatment – I triaged a tawny owl a few weeks ago that had been hit by a car, and last night I got to release him back into the wild, watching him fly off was just amazing.
All jobs come with a downside, working with wildlife certainly has its hardships – unfortunately, we can save everything that comes through the door. Wildlife is very different from domestics in terms of recovery and rehabilitation – where a dog or cat can tolerate weeks of rehabilitation after extensive spinal surgery, a fox or badger cannot. Making the decision to euthanise is always difficult but sadly it’s part of the job.
In wildlife care you never know when a fox cub is going get stuck in football netting or when a pigeon is going to fly into a window or a cat is going to attack a vole, so the job is 24/7 365 days a year which means working long unsociable hours, including bank holidays and lots of weekends.
In addition to this, the majority of wildlife hospitals and rehabilitation centres are charities, and therefore the pay reflects this.
Has moving into this role opened any further doors for you?
I have always loved sharing my wildlife work abroad, I’ve written a few articles for the BVNA about working abroad but working with wildlife full time has definitely opened more doors for presenting. I have been fortunate to present two webinars for the BVNA on wildlife and I am now writing my third webinar for the webinar vet.
I am so passionate about wildlife and being able to share that passion and knowledge is fantastic – I love getting to meet so many like-minded nurses.
What advice would you give to any RVNs looking to move their career in the direction of working with exotics and wildlife?
The best advice I can give is don’t give up – I’m very much a believer in if you want something go and get it!
Experience is everything when working with exotic species, in my opinion you need to be confident working with domestic species before you can feel confident to transfer your skills to exotics. Working with wild and exotic species involves a lot of thinking outside the box with regards to things like restraint, transport, drug doses, equipment, etc so you really need to be confident with the fundamental veterinary skills before you can start thinking about wildlife work.
I’ll be honest previous to my current role at a wildlife hospital I had numerous interviews for zoo positions and was told despite having extensive experience working with a vast range of species and being an RVN for nearly 7 years that I need more nursing experience.
Now I’m not saying that to put anyone off it’s just the reality of zoo, wildlife, and exotic work – it’s extremely competitive.
Finally, as a Registered Veterinary Nurse, what are your current future career goals or aspirations?
As much as I love my current role, I would love to get into Zoo Vet Nurse in the future. I would also love to complete my advanced programme in exotics nursing to help further my wildlife and exotics knowledge.
I feel so lucky to have a career where I am constantly learning new things.
