EDUCATION AND TRAINING
The future depends upon personnel prepared for and able to respond to risks to Australia’s unique wildlife, environment, biodiversity, human health, domestic animal health, farm productivity, trade and economy.
There is a necessity to continue to raise awareness and improve education and knowledge of wildlife health through both dedicated courses and cross-disciplinary approaches.There are several universities in Australia, including all seven veterinary schools, that include undergraduate training in wildlife health. Emphasis varies across three main areas: medicine, health and conservation medicine (an emerging discipline that involves the integration of veterinary science, conservation biology and public health). In many cases, veterinary schools work closely with their local zoo to provide postgraduate opportunities. Curricula in Australia cover a broad range, including environmental medicine, free-ranging wildlife population health, conservation medicine, ecosystem health, wildlife disease ecology, wildlife rehabilitation medicine, public health, food safety, EAD response and preparedness, social science, medicine and pathology (W Boardman pers. comm.). There are also several EAD preparedness and response courses and training opportunities, often via departments of primary industries or AHA. These courses aim to increase knowledge in the recognition, diagnosis and management of EADs and ensure a trained workforce is available to assist in response to an EAD.
Importantly, many wildlife disease ecologists, managers and conservation biologists in Australia are not veterinarians. Hence, wildlife health education and training requires a cross-disciplinary approach.
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