At City Wildlife, no two days are ever the same
and that’s exactly what our veterinarian and clinical director, Dr. Sarah Sirica, loves about her work. One morning might begin with treating a hawk that collided with a window, examining injured orphaned baby squirrels, and then checking on turtles recovering from shell fractures. Each patient is a reminder that Washington, DC, is home to an extraordinary variety of wild neighbors.
Why Wildlife Medicine?
Dr. Sarah worked with cats, dogs, and exotic animals at the beginning of her veterinary career, but she always knew she wanted to work with wild animals in some capacity. She loves learning about all of the different species we have in DC, and how “When we help one animal recover, we’re also supporting the balance of the larger ecosystem,” she explains. For her, the most rewarding moment is always the same, seeing an animal fully recovered and ready to return to the wild.
Why Dr. Sarah Loves Opossums
While she treats thousands of species each year, Dr. Sarah has a soft spot for Virginia opossums. Too often misunderstood, opossums are our only marsupial native to North America, and havesome really interesting traits – they are highly unlikely to get rabies, are resistant to snake venom, and use their prehensile tails to gather leaves to stay warm in the winter. Mother opossums are called “jills” and keep their joeys in their pouch as they grow, just like kangaroos.
Opossums are an essential part of our local ecosystems, and are even part of nature’s cleanup crew, eating carrion and sometimes even ticks, that might otherwise spread illness. “One of my favorite patients was 25-192, who came in with injuries and lead toxicity – plus a pouch full of joeys” Dr. Sarah recalls. “With proper care, she and her
joeys recovered and were eventually released to continue doing what opossums do best, keeping our urban ecosystems healthy.” Her work reminds us that even the most overlooked animals deserve our respect and gratitude.
