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Our state-of-the-art, 17,000 square-foot Veterinary Hospital was designed to accommodate all current and future animals at Oakland Zoo as well as visiting rescues, from small birds to large tigers and grizzly bears. It features radiology and surgical suites, a small laboratory, a pharmacy, wide transportation docks, and LEED Gold certification. Take your next Zoo visit to a whole new level with a tour of our amazing veterinary hospital.
“We take great joy in providing high quality and compassionate care for all the animals at Oakland Zoo, and those that come to our veterinary hospital through our conservation programs. It’s hard work, but we love what we do and give every animal the best quality care - whether a rescued mountain lion, tiny poison dart frog, California condor, or giraffe”
Dr. Alex Herman, VP, Veterinary Services
The Animal Care Wing reflects the best in animal hospitalization and rehabilitation design. It was created with the care and comfort of the Zoo’s animals in mind and is situated in the quietest point in the building to allow animals to recuperate without any added environmental stress.
• Aquatic room with a pool for animals like river otters
• Aviary with flying space that is both covered and heated
• Room with padded walls for hoof stock
• Climate-controlled rooms for reptiles
The Veterinary Hospital serves as a nucleus of research with a diagnostic lab that includes both a blood chemistry and CBC analyzer to provide critical patient information within minutes of sample collection. Digital radiographic imaging produces superior quality diagnostic radiographs (x-rays) with less radiation exposure. Diagnostics include new endoscopy equipment that expands the Zoo’s medical capabilities, while decreasing the invasiveness of sample collection and promoting faster recovery. In addition, a large laboratory facilitates collaborative research, fosters work with universities and furthers animal nutrition and pharmacology studies.
Education and conservation are at the heart of the hospital.
The education of our children is always of the utmost importance in any Zoo project and the Veterinary Hospital is no exception. It is designed with wide hallways and large, low windows offering views into treatment rooms, which accommodates the variety of guests touring the facility.
Currently, our only veterinary opportunity outside of hospital tours is an externship designed for veterinary students currently in their clinical year. Please see the externship description and application process on the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians website under educational opportunities here. We do not offer veterinary volunteer opportunities for non-veterinary students at this time.
Take your next Zoo visit to a whole new level by touring our hospital! For more information and to reserve your tour click here.
Thanks to the scope of the Hospital, the Zoo is able to deepen its relationships and become a regional resource in the care of animals associated with our wildlife partners.
The hospital was designed and built with the planet in mind.
The Veterinary Hospital is a green facility, and has been certified LEED Gold. The hospital’s design features extensive daylight from sky lights reducing the need for artificial lighting, and a 50-kilowatt roof-mounted solar system comprised of 154 solar panels (donated by SunPower Corporation). Architects incorporated recycled content including fly ash and steel, as well as renewable materials such as FSC wood, icynene insulation (castor oil), and bamboo throughout the facility. There is in-slab radiant heating for the animals, an electric vehicle charging station, and water runoff goes into bioswale for treatment. Even the courtyard pavers are water-permeable.
Important to the facility’s design was the inclusion of over 70 plants and 115 trees representing the countries of origin for our current animal collection as well as 15 species of grasses and plants native to California and the animals we look forward to exhibiting in the planned California Trail expansion.
Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation
Lakeside Foundation
DMARLOU Foundation
S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation
Thelma Doelger Trust for Animals
HEDCO Foundation
SunPower Corporation
Koret Foundation
Thomas J. Long Foundation
The Clorox Company Foundation
Abaxis
Fremont Bank Foundation
Warren and Mary Brown
Neil, Diane, and Brian Goodhue
Linda Hart Huber
Eleanor B. Moore
Oakland Zoo Docents
Joel Parrott, DVM and Laura Becker, DVM
Reid and Amy Settlemier
George and Lorri Zimmer
Architect: Noll & Tam Architects
Structural Engineer: Kenneth R. Hughes
Electrical Engineer: O’Mahoney & Myer
Mechanical and Planning Engineer: Richard A. Charles and Interface Engineering
Civil Engineer: Aliquot Associates, Inc.
Contractor: Alten Construction
Construction Manager: Howard Fuchs
Solar Energy: SunPower Corporation
LEED Certification: Swinerton Management & Consulting
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