Freeland Dunker, DVM and Gail Hedberg, RVT-San Francisco ZooGail E. Hedberg, RVT entered the field of zoo medicine by completing a student externship working with exotic animals at Marine World Africa USA in Redwood City, CA prior to graduation in 1976 from Colorado Mountain College’s Veterinary Technology program. Her education, training, subsequent certification and work experience provided the opportunity for full time employment at this facility until 1980. Here is where she had the chance to work with a variety of infant exotic animals in the nursery as well as utilize her skills as a registered veterinary technician working with marine mammals as well as assorted exotic birds and mammals in the veterinary clinic.
In 1981 Gail joined the zoo hospital team at the San Francisco Zoo. In reality hand-rearing is only 10% of her work load but it is truly her passion. This specialty as a zoo animal neonatal cares specialist developed because she has hand-reared animals of all kinds during a 35-year career that has spanned from a rhino calf, gorilla infants, giraffe calves for Michael Jackson, polar bear cubs, to white lion and tiger cubs for Siegfried and Roy. She is often called upon to provide her expertise in an area that not only requires intuitiveness and sensitivity, but a medical knowledge base that enables her to cross over every species boundary. Because of her special skill set in neonatal care, zoo and exotic animal professionals around the world seek Gail’s expertise, knowledge and methodologies.
An important aspect of Gail’s life is her husband Kent. They met while both working at Marine World Africa USA. This is where they quickly shared countless experiences working with marine mammals and exotic animals. Kent’s support has been paramount to Gail’s success in a field that has no experts. Both natives of the bay area they enjoy spending time in their RV.
Current Highlights
2011 marks a milestone for Gail as she has been acknowledged for her 30 year service with the San Francisco Zoo Veterinary Department.
Her most challenging project was successfully hand-rearing an infant polar bear cub. This occurred at a time with limited information and few successful outcomes. This led to the opportunity to share lessons learned along the way. Now as a contributing author for chapters on hand-rearing both polar bear and exotic felids in a book for those professionals in zoo and wildlife settings seeking hand-rearing protocols is very gratifying. Hand-Rearing Wild and Domestic Mammals
For the last 10 years she has been the lead researcher in a nutritional study focused on alalyzing polar bear milk and blood samples. Gail has gained the respect and secured financial support for this on going study from Polar bears International. Collaborating with experts and the unique results of her grpund breaking work have been published and presented at international seminars for both exoric animals and human pediatrics.
The September/October 2011 article has provided key information for milk composition and formula reccomendations for polar bear cubs born this year.
Toronto Zoo, and The Scandinavian Wildlife Park in Denmark are hand-rearing polar bear cubs using Gail's milk formula research.
Editors of Zoo Biology selected one of the Hedberg's photos of San Francisco Zoos own "PIKE" when she was six months old as the cover photo for this prestigous journal.