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
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.
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.
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.
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 3rd year of this program, having anaesthetised, sampled, and examined nearly 600 koalas in some beautiful forests across the state.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
