The Wildlife Medical Clinic is continually providing opportunities for university of Illinois veterinary students and undergraduate students to learn and participate in the medical management of wild animals. This summer, the clinic opened their doors to 15 amazing summer undergraduate volunteers. These volunteers were trained by our summer medical staff and assisted with orphan feedings and patient treatments. They did a tremendous job! We would like to highlight what a summer in the Wildlife Medical Clinic meant to them as well as congratulate them for being amazing volunteers.
“This summer at the Wildlife Medical Clinic, my eyes were opened to the many moving parts and details that go into tending to the needs wildlife species. I would say that I definitely gained a newfound interest in wildlife veterinary medicine. I have been able to take my prior veterinary experiences and compare/contrast them to that of the Wildlife Medical Clinic. I have enjoyed being able to essentially follow around the veterinary students as they tackled each case. They were always willing to teach both verbally, as well as hands on! Another aspect I appreciated about this experience was the direct contact I was able to have with many of the animals, leading me to form a few personal favorites (raccoons and opossums). Speaking of opossums, one of the most memorable cases for me was an opossum that is now in the works of becoming an ambassador animal at the Wildlife Medical Clinic! She presented as a habituated one-year old opossum with some serious health issues. One of them led her into a 3-hour operation that I was lucky enough to watch. After she had fully recovered and was up and moving, I was able to take her out for “outside time” where I would watch her dig, find bugs, and explore! She is one that I will never forget and hope to see continue to thrive with the clinic! Overall, my experience this summer at the Wildlife Medical Clinic has left me with an abundance of knowledge and countless memories (and patients) that I will never forget!”
– Julia Walli
“This summer was amazing! It gave me the chance to experience what my future career could be like one day and gave me the chance to make connections with other students and veterinarians with the same passion for wildlife as me. I love the new ambassador opossum, especially taking her outside to her enrichment and walks!”
– Marrina White
“The Wildlife Clinic was a great experience because I had the opportunity to learn about several aspects of wildlife medicine. This internship provided me with knowledge about different types of mammals and avian species, their behavior, and medical needs. I always looked forward to coming in. One would never know what the day would bring because each day was different. Everyone was very welcoming and made me feel like I was part of the team. One great memory was when I held a Red Tailed Hawk and a Cooper’s Hawk for the first time! Overall, I really enjoyed volunteering at WMC and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in getting experience at a wildlife clinic.”
– Evelyn Hardy
“I have had past experience with wildlife rehabilitation, but my summer at the WMC really established the difference between a rehabilitation setting vs. medical emergency setting for wildlife.”
– Sean Pergams
“This summer was very special to me because it opened my eyes to what it means to medically care for wildlife. I’ve also learned a lot about wildlife and how to educate the public about wildlife animals. My favorite patients have to be the baby opossums and squirrels!”
– Amber Zilinger
“My summer at the clinic was very interesting, informative and eye-opening. It brought to my attention the reality of our wild animals and the challenges that come with the care and health of these animals. My favorite patient is the opossum I cared for, and is now doing very well on the road to recovery as a potential famous ambassador animal for the clinic. My favorite experiences are watching the slider turtle while he went for a outdoor sun bath and tube feeding several animal species. Also, I enjoyed the morning roundtable informational sessions with the veterinarians and the veterinary students. Gaining knowledge and perspective from discussions with vet students and veterinarians brought about a life-changing experience for me.”
– Ruel Hanlan
