Bornean Veterinarians Tour CVM Hospitals, Classrooms
Guests from the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco and the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) visited Texas A&M on April 18 to see the advanced technologies and facilities at the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM).
The visitors included Cameron Park Zoo staff veterinarian James Kusmierczyk, Cameron Park Zoo veterinary technician Amanda Suenkel, BOSF veterinarians Lia Kristina and Agus Fahroni, and BOSF program manager and veterinarian at the Samboja Lestari rainforest Agus Irwanto.
After attending a workshop at the Cameron Park Zoo and visiting some other zoological institutions around Texas, the group visited the CVM for a tour led by CVM ambassador Angelica Frazer.
“We chose the CVM to show the Bornean veterinarians what veterinary schools and hospitals are like in the United States,” Kusmierczyk said.
The group toured the CVM Diagnostic Imaging & Cancer Treatment Center, the Small Animal Hospital’s zoological medicine service, the Large Animal Hospital, and the Veterinary & Biomedical Education Complex.
“The Bornean veterinarians were very impressed, especially with the Diagnostic Imaging & Cancer Treatment Center and the new CVM buildings,” Kusmierczyk said. “Overall, they were very pleased to have visited Texas A&M University’s veterinary facilities.
“Our tour guide, Angelica, was extremely knowledgeable and helpful,” he added.
The group of BOSF veterinarians primarily traveled to the U.S. this April to attend the Cameron Park Zoo’s great ape cardiac workshop, focusing on monitoring cardiac health by using positive reinforcement training.
“The Cameron Park Zoo has partnered with the BOSF for a number of years and helped with donations to improve their facilities,” Kusmierczyk said.
He explained that this partnership allows Cameron Park Zoo and BOSF staff to participate in an exchange program, traveling to each other’s facilities for learning and training opportunities.
This was the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation veterinarians’ first experience with the CVM, but the Cameron Park Zoo regularly hosts veterinary interns and students from the CVM’s zoological medical service for rounds and assisting with cases.
Established in 1991, the BOSF is an Indonesian non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of the Bornean orangutan and its habitat, in cooperation with local communities, the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, and international partner organizations.
