DURRELL have appointed a new head of veterinary services.
Dr Nic Masters joins the Wildlife Conservation Trust from Toronto Zoo where he has spent the past three years as director of wildlife health, having worked at The Zoological Society of London for ten years before that.
Dr Masters said: “I am incredibly excited to be joining the team at Durrell. Gerald Durrell’s prescient mission of ‘saving species from extinction’ was trailblazing, and I was equally drawn to the Trust’s ‘Rewild our World’ strategy and long-term vision.
“I believe Durrell is an amazing organisation, achieving and capable of even more global impact, and I’m delighted to be part of it.”
As part of Durrell’s continued commitment to conservation science, Dr Masters’s appointment will assist in strengthening relationships with other zoos, and supporting efforts to protect wildlife and natural habitats globally.
He added: “I am looking forward to meeting the animals under our care at the zoo, the staff who look after them every day, and doing my very best to ensure their well-being through excellent zoological medicine.
“And I’ll be exploring all the ways in which the veterinary team can extend that knowledge, skillset and experience to field programmes, to training, and to research.”
Director of zoo operations, Mark Habben said: “I am really looking forward to welcoming Nic to the team, especially after working together at ZSL. Many people do not know about the important role the vet team plays both at Jersey Zoo and in our field programmes around the world, helping to provide all of the animals we look after with the best possible care.”
Durrell’s chief executive Rebecca Brewer added: “We are thrilled to welcome Nic to Durrell. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a skilled team of vets on site at Jersey Zoo and Nic’s appointment strengthens this even further, enabling us to continue in leading the way in conservation science.”
