TIGER HEALTH CARE
Health Care Team: Mae Rim & Mae Taeng
Health Care Team: Phuket
At Tiger Kingdom, the health of our animals is our first priority. We have full-time health care teams at each of our locations, composed of veterinary practitioners, nutritionists and animal husbandry technicians. The teams perform various tasks to ensure the maintenance and improvement of our tiger’s health and well-being.
Daily Routine Health Check
Every morning the veterinary team accompany our animal husbandry technicians around the park to check on each animal. The health care team look for changes in the animal's disposition, appetite, water intake, defecation and urination. They then action any treatment necessary and follow up on previous cases.
General Patient Treatment
General patient treatment includes cases which are easily treated without the need of anesthetic, such as applying anti-septic to small wounds and scratches on the animal's skin.
Vaccination
Like domestic animals, wild animals are susceptible to infection by common viruses and bacteria. To prevent an outbreak of disease, our teams perform annual vaccinations on each specimen.
Parasite Control
Felids are susceptible to a wide variety of ectoparasites and endoparasites such as fleas, ticks, worms etc. As with domestic species, anthelmintics and parasiticides are prescribed regularly.
Pest Control
Common zoo pests can serve as disease vectors. Rodents can harbor and spread Leptospirosis and Salmonellosis. Arthropods can transmit cholera. Domestic pets can be vectors for viral diseases, and they could also transmit intestinal parasites.
A successful control program requires consistent effort to minimize harborage for pests.
Annual Health Check
Annual health checks facilitate the early diagnosis of any issue. The tiger’s check-up is performed under general anesthetic by the veterinary team. We check from teeth to tail including the assessment of the major organ systems, microchip scanning, weight check, body measurement, blood profile, dental examination and routine nail care.
Nutrition Management
Our nutritionists maintain individual animals to be in a healthy condition based on their daily dietary requirements. They make ration adjustments for animals that need to gain or lose weight, that are pregnant or lactating, and which have specific health issues. Vitamins and minerals are also given to supplement the animal’s diet.
Education & Research
The Tiger Kingdom Health Care team offers wildlife clinic experience for veterinary students and volunteer vets. Students and volunteers receive extensive exposure to zoological medicine and veterinary management by working with our veterinary team. Tiger Kingdom also collaborates with universities to fill gaps in scientific knowledge on short and long-term wildlife research projects.
