From lizards to lions—one of the newest members of our Animal Health team shares what it takes to become a zoo vet!

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications  
Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo 

December 9th is International Day of Veterinary Medicine—a day to honor the hard work of all veterinary professionals for the health and well-being of animals. From infancy through geriatric and comfort care, we have an amazing team of veterinarians, licensed veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants and animal keepers who all contribute to ensuring the animals in our care have everything they need to live their best lives.

To mark the day, we spoke to one of the newer members of Woodland Park Zoo's Animal Health Team, Associate Veterinarian Dr. Laura St Clair, to find out more about her journey to working in veterinary medicine.

Dr. St Clair always knew she wanted to be a veterinarian!

Hi Dr. St Clair. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. When did you know that you wanted to be a veterinarian ... and what do you think was the motivation for that choice?

I have known I wanted to be a veterinarian since I was about 3, or so my parents tell me. I have always loved animals and I wanted to help them. As I grew older, I learned that being a veterinarian was about helping people too.

I first knew I wanted to be a zoo veterinarian when I was about 8 years old. I was on a trip with my family in Alaska and saw a wild caribou and just knew I wanted to work with all species of animals.

Did you grow up with animals?

My first pet was a hamster. She was feisty and did not love cuddles, but I loved her.

I was about 6 years old when we brought home our family dog. She was a beagle and just the very best dog. She lived to be 17 years old and she taught me so much. I was so lucky to have her. I hope to have and love many dogs in my life, but she will always hold an extremely special place in my heart.

Where did you go to school and are there special veterinary school programs for people who want to work with the kinds of animals we have at Woodland Park Zoo?

I got my undergraduate degree in zoology from Colorado State University and then went to veterinary school at Cornell University. For my undergraduate education I looked for schools with programs that would support people interested in going to veterinary school. Colorado State had a pre-veterinary advisor and extra support for students that wanted to be veterinarians. This was very helpful for me as most veterinary schools require you to take certain classes and have a wide variety of experiences in order to apply. Once in veterinary school I sought out opportunities to work with zoo animals in human care and with wildlife. Different veterinary schools have different strengths and there are some that have more exotic, zoo, and wildlife medicine opportunities than others, so that was an important consideration for me.

Working with the animals we have at WPZ generally requires additional special training within and after veterinary school. Whenever possible while in school, I took zoological medicine classes that were offered and joined our zoo and wildlife medicine clubs and organizations. After veterinary school I also continued additional training with a specially focused 1-year internship and 3-year residency. While veterinary school is largely designed to focus on domestic animal species (mostly dogs, cats, horses, cows, sheep/goats, and pigs) these additional years of training after I was already a veterinarian were completely focused on the medicine of exotic, wildlife and zoological animal species.

While I took a relatively direct path with an internship and residency, this is not the only pathway to becoming a zoo veterinarian. Usually, a year or two of additional specialty training is recommended or may be required, but many people then enter this field and develop experience on the job (which I still do every day). I have found most people in the field of zoo and wildlife medicine want to help each other and finding supportive mentors is a large key to success.

From lizards to lions—Dr. St Clair helps our Animal Health team look out for all the animals in our care!

How long have you been part of our Veterinary Team at Woodland Park Zoo? You’re from the Northwest, correct? What’s it like to be back “home”?

I joined the veterinary team here in May of 2025—so not too long ago! I am from Boise, Idaho originally and my family is now all in the Pacific Northwest. It feels amazing to be back. I love everything about this area, the mountains, the ocean, and yes including the rain, and I have always wanted to move back here. Having the opportunity to be here, close to family, and also be a part of this amazing team has been incredible.

What was one of the very first cases you worked on here at Woodland Park Zoo? Tell us about it.

One of the first cases I worked on here was Babs, our female saki monkey. An abscess developed on her chin that was associated with an infection of one of her front teeth. We put her under anesthesia for an examination due to our suspicion and diagnosed the tooth infection with dental x-rays. I surgically removed the affected front tooth and she did great afterwards. Throughout the whole process she continued to eat well and took all of her medications; she was a wonderful patient.

Do you have a favorite species or animal at Woodland Park Zoo? Tell us about that.

I love so many of the different species we have here. However, if I had to pick, one of my favorites would have to be the mountain goats! They are a pretty unique species to have in zoos and they are really amazing animals. It has been really special to get to work with them.

What is a normal day at Woodland Park Zoo like for you? Or is there such a thing?

One of the things I love about this job is that no two days are exactly the same. We work with different animals every day and that poses unique situations and challenges all the time. One thing I always know for sure is to expect the unexpected. However, we do try to have a general flow to the day. We meet every morning as a team (veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and hospital animal keepers) to discuss the plan for the day. Then we generally have our bigger procedures scheduled in the morning; this might include anesthetized examinations or in-hand exams or rechecks. In the afternoon we may have a few more rechecks, but also a lot of meetings with many people throughout the zoo. And, of course, there are always many medical records to write, emails to send and paperwork that needs to be done.

What is something cool that people probably don’t know about being a zoo veterinarian that you’d like them to know?

One of the first questions I usually get asked is which animals I work with at the zoo. And the answer is all of them! We treat everything from bugs and spiders in Bug World to birds and reptiles, and all the way to giraffe, rhino and gorillas. As a zoo veterinarian here at WPZ my job is to oversee the medical care for all of our animals.

What advice would you give to a high school student who thinks they might want to become a veterinarian?

Stay determined, try not to let yourself get too overwhelmed, and don’t be afraid to lean on your support system, whoever this may be (friends, family, teachers, school counselors or other supportive people in your life). For high schoolers my biggest recommendation would be to talk to a veterinarian if you can, learn more about what it is like to be a vet. If you can, start volunteering occasionally at an animal shelter or spending time at a veterinarian's office. Get an idea for what it could be like to do this job in the future. That being said, don’t get too hung up on worrying about vet school just yet. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself and engage in your extracurricular activities. While school and grades certainly aren’t everything, once you are in college they do matter for your vet school application, so don’t forget about them. Once you get to junior and senior year of high school and are thinking about college applications, do a little research about whether colleges you are interested in offer pre-vet or pre-med programs or have additional support (like a guidance counselor) for people interested in these professions. This can be a really helpful resource as these people can help make sure you are taking the right classes and have the things you need to build a strong application for veterinary school. Vet school and being a veterinarian is hard, so don’t forget about your hobbies and the things that bring you joy, even if you have a little less time for them.

Do you have any pets at home?

Yes, I currently have one dog, a beagle-mix. She is a sweet and cuddly girl who just loves people. I also have a rabbit, he is around 8 pounds, so a pretty big guy. He is very feisty and I would say he has strong opinions.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love getting outside in my spare time and my husband and I love to hike. I am really enjoying exploring our new home and spending time with friends and family. For those rainy and cold days, I do love a crafty activity. My favorite is crocheting.

Final question: We always like to know what the animals’ favorite snacks are, so we’ll ask YOU the same question! What is one snack that really helps you get through your day?

This is a tough question for me because I love snacks. Mid-morning I usually have a granola bar to get me through to lunch. Other snacks I love are cheese, some fruit and yogurt. And a sweet treat doesn’t hurt either!

Thank you, Dr. St Clair!

And a BIG THANK YOU to all members of our veterinary care team for ALL they do to help our animals—the furry, the feathered, the scaly and everything in between—live their best lives!

Make sure to let the veterinarians, licensed veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants in your pet's life know that you appreciate what they do!