Catherine Bollinger (center) of Pittsboro and Dr.
Mette Tomkins (front) of Chapel Hill watch as N.C. Zoo Senior
Veterinarian Dr. Ryan DeVoe checks a grizzly bear in a back holding
area at the zoo. Bollinger was the winner of a Zoo Society raffle that
entitled the winner to shadow an N.C. Zoo veterinarian for a day.
Tomkins was invited as her guest." (NC Zoo photo by Tom Gillespie)
When
Catherine Bollinger of Pittsboro learned about the N.C. Zoo Society’s
“Shadow a Veterinarian” raffle, she bought 10 tickets because she cared
about the cause—to establish a Conservation Medicine Fund at the Zoo.
Bollinger never thought that she would
win, but win she did. On March 25, Bollinger and her guest, Chapel Hill
veterinarian Dr. Mette Tomkins, spent the day tailing Senior
Veterinarian Dr. Ryan DeVoe as he jostled in and around the N.C. Zoo,
caring for its animals.
Their day began as Bollinger and Tomkins
followed DeVoe into the lion holding facility and shielded their ears
from the lioness as she roared out her protests about an upcoming
physical. Moments later, everyone stepped into the lioness’ den and
stood by her while she slept and DeVoe gingerly poked, prodded and
tapped his way through her physical. The lioness passed with flying
colors, which sent the group back to the zoo’s Veterinary Center to
treat their next patient—a ball python with a cancerous tumor.
While the raffle winners watched,
veterinary staff placed the snake’s head in a plastic tube and slowly
pumped in anesthesia. DeVoe monitored the snake’s vital signs as it
drifted off to sleep. Next, he skillfully removed the growth and
stitched up the snake’s wound. The snake’s prognosis is “fair,” and
DeVoe said he was hopeful that he removed all of the cancer cells. Now,
all that he and the staff can do is wait and see.
In the afternoon, DeVoe, Chief
Veterinarian Dr. Mike Loomis, several other zoo veterinary staff and
the winners climbed into the veterinary truck and set out for the
grizzly barn. Once inside, an 800-pound bear sauntered calmly to the
front of its cage and presented his paws and 4-inch claws for DeVoe’s
inspection. He was rewarded with a few apple slices.
Finally, the entourage accompanied DeVoe to check on the status of a few lame antelope.
At the end of the day, Bollinger, a
conservationist and professional writer, shared her impressions in a
thank-you e-mail to DeVoe. Her note began, "Thank you again for the
most extraordinary day I’ve experience in years. You and your team and
the entire staff at the N.C. Zoo made my day wonderfully memorable…
“I have always been proud of our zoo, but
I'm positively bursting at the seams with pride after watching you and
all the zoo staff from behind the exhibits. Every single person I met
believes strongly in the importance of her or her work. Our zoo animals
could not be in better hands”
The Zoo Society will hold another “Shadow a Zoo Veterinarian” raffle in January 2010, which will be open to anyone 16 or older.
