Rhino Re-Evaluate

This is "Ebony" the 2,500 lbs. black rhino at the Potter Park Zoo just before she was darted. This was a re-check of sorts of the exam we did back in May.






There were tons of people around to help out with this exam. There were probably 10-15 vets, 5 firemen, and about 25 others. I was fortunate enough to get to help out a little by flushing the tissue around the feet and packing them when the exam was done. I smelled like rhino the rest of the day despite going home to take a shower.




In order to take the breathing tube out of her the firemen were there with the Jaws of Life. Luckily the tube was removed without incident, but it did look a little funny because it looked like rhino sized dentistry for a minute.



In the middle of the exam we had to roll her to the other side so that we could see her other feet. This required the car lifts (once again provided by the firemen) which you can hear squeaking in the background. This experience taught me that improvisation is a key component to vet med.