Member spotlight! Alison Peel!

This month we spotlight the work of our member Alison Peel.

Ali recently commenced a new appointment as a Horizon Fellow at The University of Sydney, and she was also our 2025 recipient of the WDA-A Barry L Munday award. Congratulations Ali!

Name: Dr Alison Peel

Institution: Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney

Ali with a frog that jumped on her.

Year and type of graduate student program(s)/additional training:

• 2012 PhD, University of Cambridge (viruses in African fruit bats)

• 2007 MSc in Wild Animal Health, Royal Veterinary College, London

Ali in the field in remote African islands, 2010, exploring Henipavirus, Lyssavirus and genetics of African fruit bats.

What is it that attracted you to work on wildlife originally?

I grew up in a part of Sydney with lots of native bushland around me, wildlife in my garden, and a fascination regarding the animals around me. During my vet degree, I loved the novelty of working with a range of different wildlife and zoo species, and was just so curious about their diversity, behaviour, and adaptations in wild and captive environments.

Ali releasing a captured flying fox (photo credit Kathleen Flynn).

What has attracted you to focus on bats?

After my MSc, I had the opportunity to continue work with my MSc supervisor, Prof Andrew Cunningham, via a PhD project on African straw-coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum). Initially, I was attracted by the opportunity to work on bat viruses (there was growing interest in emerging bat viruses at the time) and in Africa (a childhood dream). Very quickly, I became intrigued by my study species and its ecology. Even though it was a very common species, widespread across continental Africa, very little was documented about its seasonal distributions, movements, and how roost sites in tiny forests at the southern extent of its range could go from being empty to hosting many millions of individuals within a couple of days, at the same time each year. I just found them so fascinating, and have not looked back since.

Ali investigating Henipavirus, Lyssavirus and genetics of African fruit bats in Tanzania in 2009.

How can WDA-A members connect more with these species and ecosystems?

Take some time out to visit your local camp - particularly during morning arrivals or evening departures when bats are most active. I think observing a species' behaviour in their natural environment is the best way to appreciate and connect with them. For a more up-close experience, engagement with bat rescue and rehabilitation networks provides excellent opportunities to understand bat health and welfare issues directly. There are many incredibly dedicated and highly knowledgeable carers who have taught me so much. I encourage vets, vet students, nurses and ecologists to ensure that they are up to date with their rabies vaccinations. Many flying foxes suffer unnecessarily because carers cannot access a vaccinated vet who is willing to treat or euthanise them.

Ali holding a bat (photo credit Olivier Restif).

What are some key reflections for you about your work in the wildlife health field in Australasia?

In my work, I’ve come to appreciate the value of long-term surveillance and ecological monitoring. The involvement of an ecologist, Dr Peggy Eby, in Hendra virus spillover investigations alongside veterinary and public health professionals, was transformative. Observations of unusual feeding behaviour at spillover sites set in motion research that ultimately determined what had changed for the species, and how this was related to Hendra spillover. I think it's imperative to work across disciplines and sectors, to bring everyone along on the journey to identify lasting solutions - and it’s a thoroughly enjoyable way to work too. Wildlife Health Australia has been instrumental in fostering these approaches in Australia.

Ali gently removing a captured bat from the net (photo credit Remy Brooks), 2021.

How has being involved in the WDA-A section helped you during your career and what advice might you have for prospective students?

First and foremost, WDA-A has provided me with a community. When I first joined WDA-A as a vet student (in around 2000/2001 I think), I was introduced to such welcoming community, doing such important and exciting work, and it really opened my eyes to the incredible range of work and careers in wildlife health across Australia. When I returned to Australia after eight years living in the UK, I attended the first WDA-A conference I could make it to, and I remember being struck by a feeling of being "amongst my people". Although I don’t make it along to as many conferences as I’d like, that sense of belonging has stayed with me throughout my career. My advice to prospective students is simple: get involved and have conversations - as well as contributing to your sense of self within the community, connections that come through random conversations can lead to opportunities and collaborations you might never have imagined.

Ali handling a flying fox (photo credit Kathleen Flynn).

What is your favourite non-scientific activity and how do you find time for it?

Being in nature - but I’m very bad at making time for it!

It is easy to get bogged down when considering the future for wildlife, what helps you stay motivated and positive in this field?

Working with dedicated collaborators, students, wildlife carers and the broader community of wildlife health professionals keeps me motivated. I think that the feeling like we are all working towards the same goals and helping each other out goes a long way towards staying positive.

Ali holding a flying fox (photo credit Kathleen Flynn).

Anything else you want to highlight/talk about? Favourite WDA-A memory?

My favourite WDA-A memory is from my first WDA-A conference (in Kakadu), sleeping in swags, next to my good friend Anne Martin and experiencing the awe of the incredible night sky.

Member spotlight! Larry Vogelnest!

This month we spotlight the work of our member Larry Vogelnest.

Larry recently published the Revised Edition of "Current Therapy in Medicine of Australian Mammals"! Congratulations Larry and co.!

Name: Larry Vogelnest

Institution: Taronga Conservation Society Australia

Larry with the Revised Edition of "Current Therapy in Medicine of Australian Mammals"

Year and type of graduate student program(s)/additional training:

• 1980 –1984: Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours), Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney.

• 1990 –1991: Master of Veterinary Studies, Wildlife Medicine and Husbandry. Thesis: "Clinical Avian Haematology and Biochemistry" (Distinction), Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney.

• 1996: Member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Surgeons, by examination in Zoo Medicine.

Work experience TWPZ, 1983

What is it that attracted you to work on wildlife originally?

Throughout my childhood I had some very strong connections with animals. I grew up in South Africa. My father was a vet and from an early age I recall having various pets, spending a lot of time at my father’s surgery and going on visits to farms with him. We went on lots of holidays to game parks and a family friend’s private game reserve adjacent to Kruger National Park. I loved the wildlife, nature and being outdoors. I was a keen bird watcher, and a friend of mine and I would take our bikes and ride out after school to a nearby wetland bird observatory. My parents were very keen hikers, and I loved it as well – many weekends and holidays were spent hiking in the ‘veldt’. It was not until my very last year at school that I decided to become a vet. I had always wanted to work with wildlife but was thinking more along the lines of being a zoologist or similar. My father organised for me to do work experience with the vet at Johannesburg Zoo in my final year of school. He convinced me that a vet degree was more likely to get me a job working with wildlife than most other degrees, so I took his advice. My father’s brother had lived in Australia for many years, and my family were planning to immigrate to Australia after I finished school. I applied for vet science in South Africa and Sydney University and got into both. I chose Sydney and moved to Australia just after finishing school at the end of 1979. My family came a year later.

Sturt National Park

My first introduction to Australian wildlife and wilderness was helping with a kangaroo project in Sturt National Park only a few weeks after arriving in Australia, that my father had organised through some colleagues at Sydney University. I spent three weeks out there catching red kangaroos with a bunch of crazy Australian students and vets. It’s amazing looking back on that time - several people on that same trip in early 1980 have been part of my ongoing wildlife journey and my career. 

Brush tailed rock wallaby trip, May '07.

During my time at university, I seized every opportunity to gain experience and exposure to wildlife – volunteering on various projects, work experience at Taronga Zoo and Taronga Western Plains Zoo and even a holiday job in the hospital at Taronga Zoo. This all cemented my passion for a career in this field.

What has attracted you to focus on koalas at the moment?

Among many interests in various taxa during my career, I developed a passion and specific interest in Australian mammals. Working at Taronga Zoo provided opportunities to work with these animals both in captivity and in the wild. The lack of published and readily available literature on health, disease, surgery, and medicine of many of the species I was working on inspired me to write the three editions of Medicine of Australian Mammals and Radiology of Australian Mammals. Koalas always fascinated me – both from a medical perspective and their conservation. After 31 years as senior veterinarian at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, I felt like a change. In 2023 an opportunity came up to work as the veterinarian for a NSW state-wide koala monitoring program, focusing on improving our understanding of the impacts of key extrinsic and intrinsic influences on geographic variation in koala population dynamics, genetic diversity and disease status with the overall goal of informing conservation management to aid koala population recovery and persistence across NSW. We are entering the 3^rd year of this program, having anaesthetised, sampled, and examined nearly 600 koalas in some beautiful forests across the state.  

Larry and the Koala Sentinel Project

How can WDA-A members connect more with these species and ecosystems?

Australia has stunning national parks and wilderness areas, so grab your binoculars, snorkelling gear and camera and just get out there – this is how I connect. However, most WDA-A members would very likely already be doing this and have a passion and connection with Australian wildlife and the environment. There are also an increasing number of opportunities to make these connections through paid work or volunteering. Wildlife agencies, conservation organisations, zoos, fauna parks and sanctuaries are employing and engaging veterinarians more frequently now. Research opportunities in wildlife and ecosystem health through universities are also increasing.

What types of day-to-day decisions would be beneficial for koala conservation in Australia?

Sadly, koalas are facing multiple threats that impact their survival and health – habitat loss and fragmentation, extreme climatic events (fire, flood, drought), vehicle strike, dog attacks, disease and more. Mitigating many of these can be challenging; however, making sound environmental choices and supporting conservation initiatives and advocating for them can benefit and contribute to koala conservation. A significant added benefit to protecting koalas and their habitat is that it benefits many other plant and animal species as well.

Brush tailed rock wallaby

What are some key reflections for you about your work in the wildlife health field in Australasia? So much has changed since I started out in this field in the 80’s. We had a relatively small, but passionate group of veterinarians, ecologists and other scientists back then who created the foundations for what we have today. The WDA-A was the seed from which much of this grew. I recall discussions at WDA-A meetings about creating a network or peak wildlife heath body and a repository of wildlife pathology. Look at what we have today – Wildlife Health Australia and the Australian Registry of Wildlife Health! The body of knowledge on Australian wildlife health and disease, one health, conservation medicine, and biosecurity to list a few, has grown exponentially. I also recall that when I was in final year at Uni there were only three of us that had an interest in wildlife – now it is most of the students in the class!

How has being involved in the WDA-A section helped you during your career and what advice might you have for prospective students?

I have been a WDA-A member since 1980 and have attended multiple WDA-A conferences over the years. I always say to students that it is not so much about how much you know, but it is about who you know – developing networks and connections with those in the field of wildlife health are very important. The WDA-A conferences were and still are the best place for that. I treasure the connections, experiences and mentorship I received as a student by attending WDA-A conferences. I always say to students who want a career in zoo and wildlife medicine to keep seeking out and making opportunities – join zoo and wildlife health related associations such as the WDA, seek relevant work experience, volunteer, and expose yourself to wildlife related opportunities as much as possible. That’s what I did, and it paid off. 

Brush tailed rock wallaby

What is your favourite non-scientific activity and how do you find time for it?

Being outdoors. I love spending time in the bush - walking, wildlife spotting, taking photographs, or just relaxing. A bonus of my current role is that most of my work is in the wonderful forests of NSW. Other passions include travelling, gardening, cycling, snorkelling and making stuff with power tools and wood. Spending time with family and my adorable partner are incredibly important to me. Finding time for all this is challenging (although better now in my current role), but it must be done. Life is too short! One of my favourite quotes is ‘Life should not be measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away’. I think I might live a long time.

Larry with son Daniele and daughter Rianne in South Africa Royal Natal NP, 2014.

It is easy to get bogged down when considering the future for wildlife, what helps you stay motivated and positive in this field?

There are three motivations for me – the wildlife I work with, the environments I work in and the people I work with. I also try to stay positive about the future. A world without wildlife and natural places is unthinkable, and with the destruction, extreme climatic events and biodiversity loss that surrounds us, it can be very depressing. However, this distracts us from the many good things that are happening, and I try and focus on these – there are many conservation programs achieving great outcomes for species and the environment, especially when you hear that a new species has been discovered! This can only be achieved through the passion and commitment of remarkable people. Surrounding myself with remarkable people with the same passion for wildlife and working for an organisation with a strong focus on conservation, research and education helps me stay motivated and positive.

Larry with partner Chantal

Anything else you want to highlight/talk about? Favourite WDA-A memory?

I have so many great WDA-A memories, particularly in the early days when conferences were rough and ready, often in wild places with wild people. I think the conference on Flinders Island (1997) was one of my favourites. Shirly barbequed mutton bird for us to try (very fishy), our bus got bogged and who can forget the scar competition at the conference dinner – oh, and there were some great talks. A memorable experience was the joint conference of the World Association of Wildlife Veterinarians, WDA-A, Australian Association of Veterinary Conservation Biologists, and the Wildlife Society of the New Zealand Veterinary Association in July 2001 that I organised at Taronga Zoo. The conference “Veterinary Conservation Biology: Wildlife Health and Population Management in Australasia" was a great success, but not as much fun as the real WDA-A conference held immediately after at the Barren Grounds Nature Reserve, south of Sydney. It was just two days, a few talks but lots of activities including a treasure hunt that involved absconding with a gnome from someone’s front garden.

Member spotlight! Michelle Campbell-Ward!

This month we spotlight the work of our member Michelle Campbell-Ward, who has just had a new book chapter come out! Congratulations Michelle!

Congratulations on your new publication, can you give us some more background on that?

Claire Ford and I recently collaborated to write the first book chapter on the topic of ‘Welfare of Australian Mammals in Human Care’ – published last month in the textbook Australian Mammals: Biology and Captive Management, 2^nd edition (edited by Stephen Jackson). It was a mammoth project, spanning many years and it has highlighted that although we have come a long way, there is still much work to do.

Name: Michelle Campbell-Ward

Institution: The University of Sydney (since July 2023)

Michelle Campbell-Ward, residency at The Ethics Centre 2024

Year and type of graduate student program(s)/additional training:

1995 Bachelor of Science (University of Sydney, Australia)

2000 Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Hons I) (University of Sydney, Australia)

2004-2007 Residency in Rabbit and Exotic Medicine (University of Edinburgh, UK)

2005 Certificate in Zoological Medicine (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, UK)

2007 Diploma in Zoological Medicine (Mammalian) (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, UK)

2014 Member of ANZCVS by examination in Medicine of Zoo Animals (Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists)

2019 Postgraduate Certificate in International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law (University of Edinburgh)

2024 enrolled as a PhD candidate  - University of Sydney (topic: free-ranging wildlife health interventions in Australia: ethics, animal welfare and decision-making)

What is it that attracted you to work on wildlife originally?

During my first degree (Bachelor of Science), I was lucky enough to study zoology under the guidance of some amazing lecturers and also to participate as a volunteer on a number of wildlife-based field trips. My in-class and field experiences at that time were truly formative. I was captivated by the diversity of the animal kingdom and the range of wacky physiological adaptations that allowed different species to thrive in assorted habitats and niches as well as the complex interconnections between all forms of life. My ambition, since I was a very young child, had always been to be a veterinarian and while that still held, those early university days really cemented the concept in my mind that I could eventually combine being a veterinarian and work with wildlife.  

What has attracted you to wildlife welfare?

In a wildlife career that has spanned work in small and large zoo clinical practice, wildlife rehabilitation medicine and government regulation, I have been involved in many situations where decisions have been made for and on behalf of animals that are not necessarily in their best interests. Or conversely, where innovative caregiving and management techniques or new protocols have improved outcomes for animals. Until recently, there has not been a robust scientific framework through which to explore this. How wild animals experience the world around them remains largely a mystery but is one that I think we need to try to better understand as human and wild lives become increasingly intertwined. 

Michelle Campbell-Ward and koala patient at the Taronga Western Plains Wildlife Hospital. Photo credit: Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

How can WDA-A members work to improve wildlife welfare overall?

• Lead by example, by ensuring that animal welfare is considered alongside all the competing priorities in their work and advocate for improvements, when gaps are identified.

• Become familiar with different welfare frameworks and have a go at applying them to wild animals in different situations. Share your findings at conferences or in publications.

• Support or participate in welfare-focused research -  reach out if you think there is something we could collaborate on.

• Contribute knowledge and data to the developments of welfare-based charters, codes of practice, guidelines, protocols etc. 

What are some key reflections for you about your work in the wildlife health field in Australasia?

We have an incredibly collegial group of professionals across the country working hard to understand and improve so many different aspects of wildlife health. The generous sharing of knowledge and ideas and the respectful open discourse amongst these colleagues are things that we should treasure. 

The systems we work with and within are complex and evolving. One thing I see many people struggling with is decision-making. How do we make good decisions in the face of so much uncertainty? How can we balance or prioritise all the values at play, especially when they conflict? How do we proactively harness the passion of those who care and positively influence those who do not? These are important questions and I am excited to now be working at the interface of animal and environmental ethics to help us find a path forward that aims to bring some ease and confidence to situations that can feel overwhelmingly messy at times.

Michelle and koala patient at the University of Sydney Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospital

How has being involved in the WDA-A section helped you during your career and what advice might you have for prospective students?

WDA-A has been a crucial part of my career journey. As a student I had the opportunity to meet many inspiring pioneers in the field, to give my first ever conference presentation, and to make friends that remain dear to me to this day. When I moved to the UK in the 2000s, the WDA-A kept me tethered to my Australian roots and gave me an excuse to come home for the odd visit. More recently, and now back in the region, WDA-A has provided a platform for me to bring some of the science of animal welfare and the challenging realm of ethics to our region’s wildlife health problems. The openness and kind-spirited nature of the community is a welcoming environment for new ideas that I think are necessary to shape our future.

To the students of today, I say, do not hesitate – even for one second - to get involved! Sign up to attend a meeting – even if you do not know a soul. Even if you are just curious and have not yet decided on where you want to go professionally. I promise by the end of the first day, you will have made connections with the most unexpected of people, some of whom may well change your life, or at least the way you think about life.

What is your favourite non-scientific activity and how do you find time for it?

Hiking (although I am not sure if it counts as entirely non-scientific!). I prioritise getting out into nature every day, even if just for half an hour. It is essential to my well-being.

I also enjoy creative writing – but that is a pastime I am less strict about doing super regularly – I do occasionally sign up for workshops or enter competitions to challenge myself to create characters, plots and stories (many with a wildlife theme, obviously!). 

Michelle Campbell-Ward, python examination at the University of Sydney Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospital

It is easy to get bogged down when considering the future for wildlife, what helps you stay motivated and positive in this field?

Spending time in the wilderness keeps me motivated. Sometimes I look at an old gnarly eucalypt and I think about what it has endured and witnessed in its time and yet it continues to flourish. Or I see a nest or a burrow that has been built by an animal against enormous odds, for example, in an environment that is under enormous anthropogenic pressure. If the wild things can tough it out, the instinctive primate in us can too. 

Anything else you want to highlight/talk about?

I would just like to give everyone out there doing their bit for wildlife a big thank you. The challenges we face (locally, globally, personally, professionally) can seem immense at times but with everybody contributing what they can, when they can and committing to work collaboratively, we can achieve great things.

Favourite WDA-A memory?

It is a recent one. It was such a treasure to be part of the WDA-A community that welcomed our WDA colleagues from around world to Canberra in 2024 for the international conference and hearing all of their engaging, inspiring and emotive stories of working at the human-wildlife interface.