Simon Krückemeier
Qualifications
Degree in Veterinary Science
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Position
Internship in Wildlife Population Health 2022-23
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Overview
I have been passionate about wildlife medicine since the beginning of my studies, especially in the field of conservation medicine. I actually decided to study veterinary medicine with this idea in mind, after meeting some professionals working in environmental and wildlife conservation while I was in a project in a national park in Vietnam. Through the Wildlife Population Health internship with Wildcom, I want to acquire a deeper knowledge in the research and management methods of emerging diseases in different species and their impact on biodiversity. My main interests are the role that diseases play for the conservation of wildlife populations and of their habitat, as well as the understanding of the interaction between wildlife and human health.
Background
Early in my studies, I started to focus on wildlife medicine. I did an internship in a Zoo, as well as in different exotic and wildlife clinics in Europe. During my third year, I also participated in the wildlife rotation of the Chiang Mai university in Thailand. A 2-month placement with the Wildcom research group in the summer of 2021 was my first long experience in the field of conservation medicine and motivated me to continue specializing in this area.
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During the degree, I followed practical and theoretical classes related to wildlife medicine offered by the Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Medicine (IZW) Berlin. Shortly after my graduation at the veterinary faculty of the Freie Universität Berlin, I decided to go to Canada for 6 weeks to gain practical experience in rehabilitation in a clinic for birds of prey, and in research at the pathological institute at the veterinary faculty of the Université de Montréal (UdeM). I am a member of the EWDA and their country representative for Germany since 2021. In this context, I already organized lectures about wildlife research and specialization opportunities in this field for European students.
