Denton couple launch program to give young vet hopefuls, wildlife lovers a sneak peek at animal care

Launched this month, Worldwide Wildlife hosts daylong classes providing high school students practice handling animals, learning basic vet care and shadowing vets. The program offers summer courses in three areas — birds, reptiles and veterinary medicine — taught by Taylor at the Frank Buck Zoo in Gainesville.

Taylor’s experience being unable to get the kind of introduction to the field she was hoping for before college isn’t unique. Many of Taylor’s classmates had little practical knowledge before entering vet school, and in looking for programs in North Texas that fit the bill, Andrew says the need for an initiative like Worldwide Wildlife became apparent.

“There are a lot of companies that will bring exotic animals to your birthday party, and a lot of zoos have day camps that are probably geared more toward younger children, but we called a ton of zoos and didn’t really find what we wanted,” Andrew said.

Worldwide Wildlife’s offering focuses heavily on animal labs, which allow students to learn to suture, draw blood and conduct health checks using practice kits, similar to the practices learned in vet school.

A program like this is a natural fit for the Willises. Like Taylor, Andrew has harbored a longtime love of animals. Though his day job is in IT, he’s always loved zoos and became interested in more hands-on care through helping Taylor handle and document wildlife for research during her veterinary school days in Illinois.

The pair also incorporates that passion for animal husbandry into their vacations, often volunteering to track and tag local wildlife for wildlife management outfits across the country.

It’s that kind of work that most people interested in animal care are not aware of, Andrew said.

Not only are the classes aimed at giving teens firsthand experience with critter care, according to the Willises, but they also provide guidance in the many paths beyond private vet practice that those interested in a career in animal care can take.

“There’s a ton of work to do and a ton of open positions for people who love and want to work with animals, but even as an adult, I had no idea that that sort of ecosystem of employment and wildlife management existed, so it’s about how do we make sure folks are properly exposed to what the possibilities can be?” Andrew said.

There are also plenty of opportunities to learn animal care abroad. Taylor has taught classes for teens and college students through similar programs, and Andrew said the pair are interested in launching a study abroad course eventually, though no solid plans are in place yet.

Much closer, though, are efforts to expand the selection of classes and bring them to other zoos in the area, as well as run them throughout the year. The pair have already gotten feedback about Worldwide’s offerings from students, and a preliminary partnership with the University of North Texas’ graduate biology department is in the works.

“Our goal is how do we connect all these people who work in the field and have all this knowledge they love sharing and passing on to the next generation of folks — how do we connect those people with the students who are really eager to learn?” Andrew said.

In the meantime, information on interactive course options at the Frank Buck Zoo can be found on Worldwide Wildlife’s website at worldwidewildlife.org.