By Elyan Shor, Ph.D., Science Writer, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

The following article appeared in the May/June 2023 edition of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Journal. To read the article in its entirety, access it here.

Those of us who have experienced the distinctive symptoms of getting older—perhaps a crick in the neck, an ache in the back, or finding that bending down is just not as easy as it used to be—know that try as we might, there is no escaping age or the physical changes that come with it. To address these symptoms, many turn to physical therapy, which has become a routing practice in human medicine for managing discomfort and maintaining normal function.

But people are far from the only beings whose bodies age—animals across taxa similarly experience the natural wear and tear that comes with aging. As it turns out, physical therapy is a solution for animals, too, and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is at the forefront of the emerging field of veterinary physical rehabilitation.

By James F. Gesualdi

Progress—directed toward our individual and collective visions for the genuine interests, protection, and well-being of the wildlife we serve—makes things better.

Extraordinary progress-making power arises from a change in perspective—from seeing the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) as the end point to realizing that the AWA is the starting point in providing appropriate wildlife care. AWA regulations containing performance- or outcome-based standards are a good vehicle for changes toward what we seek for wildlife, as there is room for flexibility, innovation, and tremendous improvement.

This reframed mindset can be put into action right now by using and leveraging some recent expanded and refined U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Animal Care AWA guidance, and other developments—including an updated and streamlined agency website.

The Academy’s Safe Capture program offers in-person, virtual, and e-learning training for the chemical immobilization and anesthesia of domestic and wildlife species. Learn more about Safe Capture training.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our June and July training events online and in Virginia and Colorado. These events drew enthusiastic participants from around the U.S., including veterinarians, wildlife biologists, students, and other domestic animal and wildlife management specialists. We are so glad you could join us!

Registration is now open for the following Academy Safe Capture in-person events:

Texas (Victoria): September 21-22, 2024: This event is being hosted by the Texas Zoo and is open to all participants.

Oregon (Corvallis): September 28-29, 2024: This event is being hosted by the Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine and is open to all participants.

Wisconsin (Stevens Point): October 12-13, 2024: This event is being hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources and is open to all participants.

CE credits approved by the following organizations:

For more information, or to register for these events, please visit the
Safe Capture Website.

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If you need more specific help, you can also submit a help ticket through the support hub, or call 888-685-4440 to speak with a CypherWorx customer support representative.

For more information about the Academy, please send us an email at SDZWAAcademySales@sdzwa.org or visit our website sdzwaacademy.org.

Individual, group, and institution rates are available. Please contact SDZWAAcademySales@sdzwa.org.

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