Zoo Vets | show | 2009 | Official Clip - video Dailymotion

Think a root canal is tough? Try performing one on a tiger. Caring for animals is the ultimate medical challenge. These  | dHNfcnpQaUlVTGJDcEU

Transcript

00:00Suzanne she elephants. My name is Suzanne Murray and I'm the chief veterinarian at

00:12Smithsonian's National Zoo. When I was five I was watching a show with Jane Goodall. I was

00:19watching it with my parents and I pointed to the TV and said that's what I'd like to do.

00:24And they said well yes then that's what you will do and it seemed to me at that point

00:29my destiny had been set. And then for my thesis work in veterinary school I ended

00:35up working with Dr. Goodall in Tanzania and it was just for me a wonderful circle

00:40came full round. The veterinary schools used to be predominantly male. I did not

00:46see many women. My mentor told me about 20 years ago you will be the head

00:53veterinarian at Smithsonian's National Zoo. And I said oh it would be a dream to be

00:58a veterinarian there someday. I just don't see that being possible. Well now here I

01:04am. He was right.

01:08May I come in? I am in love with Shanti Elephant. She's my favorite elephant and I

01:14can't deny that. The cliche is true that an elephant doesn't forget. Now that I'm the

01:20head of the department and run larger programs I'm not in the zoo as much as I

01:24used to be. So I would say not as many animals recognize me anymore. One of my

01:29favorite treats when I was a resident here doing my training I would go down and

01:33give her these little biscuits. And I hadn't seen her in about ten years and I

01:37walked into the elephant barn and the first thing she did was put her trunk up

01:40and open her mouth. And I felt really touched that oh Shanti recognizes me and

01:46remembers me. She's my favorite I think. A healthy biscuit directly into an

01:50elephant's mouth. Who else in the world gets to do that besides these guys? A lot

01:56of friends and colleagues and neighbors come to me and say my daughter wants to

02:00be a veterinarian. How can I encourage her? And the most important thing I say is

02:04believe in her. Tell her she can do whatever she wants and she'll get where

02:08she's going. I'm Dr. Suzanne Murray.