The reality of caring for animals at a zoo is that unexpected animal health issues will inevitably arise. That’s why the Minnesota Zoo has expert Animal Health and Care Teams who are ready to leap into action, making informed decisions and providing excellent medical treatment.

Last year, Zookeepers noticed something was amiss with Yana, an Amur tiger cub. She was experiencing cloudiness in her left eye and her vision was affected. Acting quickly, the Zoo’s care team diagnosed Yana with acute bullous keratopathy – a condition so rare for big cats that it was the first documented case in a tiger. The Zoo’s medical team decided to perform a surgery on Yana’s eyelid, ultimately saving her eye and helping her regain her vision.

This is just one example of the expertise and excellence of the Zoo’s Animal Health and Care Teams. They are caring for and helping animals behind the scenes at the Minnesota Zoo each day, and while their impact can be overlooked, it is evident in the everyday wellbeing of our animals at the Zoo.

To keep up with the constant demand of animal healthcare, our Animal Health and Care Teams rely on donor contributions. In fact, the Minnesota Zoo Foundation is currently raising funds to build a new, state-of-the-art Animal Wildlife Hospital and Wellness Center to give the Team more modern resources to make a larger impact. We envision the facility to include:

• An ambulance bay for safe animal transport

• Nutritional laboratory for diet analysis and preparation

• Intensive Care Unit for small and large animals housed at the Zoo

• Animal surgical suite and aseptic holding facilities for large animal species

• Conference and education programmatic space for visiting veterinarians

• And much more

Supporting our Animal Health and Care Teams in keeping the Zoo’s animals safe and healthy is one of the many ways your donations make a difference. Visit our donations page to donate and make an impact that will be felt for years to come.