Veterinary Training in Australian Wildlife Care

Dr Anne Fowler graduated from Sydney University in 1993, having spent her honours year looking at Vitamin D metabolism in marsupials.

In 2004 she became a Member in Australian College of Veterinary Scientists (Avian Health Chapter)

She has operated as a Veterinarian in NSW and Victoria since 1993. Anne has a special interest in Avian medicine. As well as looking after zoo animals for one year she has extensive experience with Australian wildlife including working with WIRES, Ettamogah Sanctuary and Victorian shelters to assist in the care of native animals and educating wildlife carers. She also worked at the new Wildlife Health and Conservation Centre at Camden, the University of Sydney's veterinary centre.

Anne has held roles of Managing Veterinarian at the RSPCA Vet Hospitals, Hunter Region (Tighes Hill & Rutherford) and Veterinarian at Healesville Sanctury.

Professional Memberships

Australian Veterinary Association 1994 - current
Australian Small Animal Veterinary Association 1994 - current
Wildlife Diseases Association 1991 - current
Post Graduate Foundation in Vet Science 1993 - current
AVA Unusual & Exotic Pets SIG 2003 - current

Continuing Professional Development

Wildlife-related Community Involvement

2001 - 2002 President of East Gippsland Wildlife Shelter Group.
Anne began this group in 2001. Due to the physical distance between carers in East Gippsland, developing a network of carers who can support each other is important. The training she led has provided wildlife carers with a network of text, internet references, and most importantly, people they are confident to approach when they need assistance.

Wildlife Interests

2005 – current she is a consultant veterinarian for Little River Earth Sanctuary. 

Papers presented at conferences:

I have presented papers at several Wildlife Diseases Association conferences:
1990 - Trapping Injuries in Microchiroptera
1992 - Avian Malaria (Plasmodium sp) in Wild-Caught House Sparrows at TPZ
1993 - Vitamin D Metabolism in Nocturnal Marsupials
2001 - Skin Lesions in a Natural Population of Long-footed Potoroos in East Gippsland
2002 - Sarcoptides mites Causing Dermatitis in Urban Brushtail Possums
2002 - Use of Glass Ionomer Cement to Repair Fractured shells in Long-neck Turtles
2005 - Heavy Metal Poisoning in Wild Australian Parrots - poster

Wildlife Carer Training

Anne is deeply committed to providing training to licenced wildlife carers primarily throughout Victoria and interstate and work with Government officers and regional carer groups to achieve these outcomes.

1995-1997 -  held training days on wild bird care for Native Animal Trust Fund (Newcastle), Wildlife Animal Rescue Committee (Gosford)
1995 - lectured on bird care for vet nurses at Kurri Kurri TAFE.
2000 - lectured on bird care and handling for South Coast WIRES.
2000 - initiated training courses in wildlife care for shelters and foster carers in East Gippsland.
2001 to current - lecture on veterinary care of wildlife at Victorian University of Technology (VUT) course on Wildlife Rehabilitation.
2002 - lectured on several occasions for training days organised by Wildlife Victoria
2003 - lectured at several regional locations in Victoria on care and husbandry of native marsupials and birds
2004 - continued training commitments in regional Victoria and developed courses on first aid
2005 - extended training into northern NSW, continued training in regional Victoria.
2005 - developed courses on reptiles & orphaned birds
2006 - continued training commitments in regional Victoria, Queensland & Tasmania.

2007 - to continue and extend training including emphasis on building competencies and accreditation for "Assessment and Treatment of Burnt Wildlife".

Wildlife Shelter Permit

1999 to current - Anne has held a wildlife shelter permit (SP/03/069). In this role she has successfully released oiled penguins, owls, little eagles, black swans. The emphasis of the shelter has been on birds, due to time/job limitations involved with hand-rearing joeys. Other species cared for include koalas, possums, wombats, joeys, microbats and reptiles. Anne's accession rate is currently around 180 animals annually, as well as consulting for an average of another 100 animals for carers/shelters annually.

Involvement with Marine Mammals in East Gippsland

Anne has been involved with the following marine animals:

• Necropsy of a short fin pilot whale at Cape Conran (November 2000)

• Volunteered to count and handle seals on the Skerries, Wingan Inlet in 2000 and 2001

• Investigation of seal pup deaths on Wingan Beach (December, 2001).

• Assessment of a leopard seal found on the beach at Cape Conran (Sept, 2001).

• Contact veterinarian for Gippsland Cetacean Stranding Plan for Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

• Member of the Victorian Cetacean Stranding Network, initiated in 2002

• Attended strandings of whales and seals in the Surf Coast area in 2005.

Personal Interests

In her very limited spare time, Anne is a keen amateur landscape photographer and has gained a great deal of satisfaction from learning to develop black and white photos.   Her other interests include bushwalking, cross-country skiing, cycling and kayaking.  And she finds joy in good coffee, good wine and good company.

Her interests include avian medicine, as well as treating unusual and exotic pets - such as reptiles, rabbits and rodents. However, Anne's true passion remains with the wildlife that she treats. Anne owns budgies, canaries and Bourke Parrots at home – along with 'Abbey' the Boxer and 'Mao' the Russian Blue cat. At any point in time there are numerous wildlife patients being cared for – including turtles with repaired shell fractures, possums, and of course birds.

Dr Anne Fowler

 

© copyright 2006 Anne Fowler
 

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