On any given day, Sam Bradley could treat a craneโs joint injury with laser therapy, perform an ostrich ultrasound, or check up on a baby porcupine. It may sound far-fetched, but for Bradley, a veterinarian at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden, getting close to wild animals is her job.
The New Jersey native found a way to fuse her longtime love of animals โ she had declared her intent to be a zookeeper in her kindergarten yearbook โ with an interest in medicine.
โAs I got older, I fell in love with medicine, and then I figured out that I could combine them,โ says Bradley, a University of Illinois graduate who completed rotating internships at VCA Valley Animal Hospital and Emergency Center and Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona, and a specialty internship at the Indianapolis Zoo before joining Mesker in July 2024. โThe fun part about being a vet is that the job changes daily. Some days I never see my desk, and some days Iโm at my desk all the time.โ
Her job entails caring for more than 700 animals and 140 different species, which requires a jack-of-all-trades skill set. The daily routine varies in the vet building โ built in the 1980s and updated in the 1990s โ and consists of Bradley and 17-year vet tech Kristine VanHoosier. Their days can involve one long procedure or up to 20 animal checkups. Vets also participate in research projects to promote conservation, oversee nutrition plans, create and update standard operating procedures, and aid in creating and approving training and enrichment plans. They also care for animals that come to the zoo, including breeding and social recommendations. The job involves collaboration, occasionally bringing veterinarians, vet techs, and zookeepers from across the nation together to assist with more specialized and complex procedures.
โI thought that Mesker Park was a really good fit. โฆ I felt like I could get to know the animals really well. I felt that I could give better care to all the animals because I was more involved in different aspects of their life here,โ Bradley says. โWhat really drew me to the facility was the size and atmosphere. The people here are really passionate about the zoo.โ
Since joining Meskerโs staff, Bradleyโs most complex procedure has been a camelโs six-hour plasma transfer to treat a gastrointestinal disease in August 2024. Animal care and vet staff traded breaks while making sure the camel was safely monitored and comfortable the whole time.
“We were able to figure out that she needed a plasma transfusion rather quickly and were able to source llama blood from a facility four hours away. Our registrar drove up, got the plasma, brought it back down, and we were prepared by the next day,โ Bradley says.
She also has overseen the birth of approximately 10 animals. Among them were the December 2024 births of porcupines Zuzu and Bomani to parents Cece and Bic. Initially, they received weekly checkups to ensure both were healthy and safe. Those checkups will wind down as the porcupine babies age.
The keepers who oversee the animalsโ daily care are the most involved in monitoring the birthing process, keeping the vet apprised of any changes Bradley performs routine checkups on pregnant animals, including the imaging of a fetus via X-rays or ultrasound. She observes and evaluates the health of the babies after they are born.
Her job is fulfilling, Bradley says, not just because she gets to work with animals all the time. Thereโs never a boring day.
โItโs just a very rewarding position. It definitely is hard work,โ Bradley says. โBut not only can I make individual impacts on the animals that are here that Iโm treating, but just an overall global conservation impact as well.โ