Faculty from the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital at Cornell traveled to Nanjing, China for the third annual Wildlife Rescue Veterinary Training event Dec. 3-5, 2025. Sara Childs-Sanford, D.V.M. ’99, associate professor and section chief of wildlife medicine, and Dr. Cynthia Hopf-Dennis, assistant clinical professor, joined Chinese and other international veterinary experts to exchange cutting-edge international practices in wildlife rescue and medicine, and to promote the standardization of wildlife rescue and release, with the overall goal of advancing wildlife welfare in China.

The event was organized by Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, alongside Elefam Think Tank on Nature Conservation and Animal Welfare.

“We are honored to have been invited by Elefam for this opportunity to connect with wildlife professionals in China and work together to advance veterinary care for native wildlife in this region,” Childs-Sanford said.

The event was structured around 13 common challenges faced by wildlife rescue teams in China, with a curriculum that mixed hands-on training and lectures. Childs-Sanford and Hopf-Dennis provided several lectures and a hands-on laboratory, covering basic topics in avian and herpetilian medicine, grounded in clinical reasoning and evidence-based decision-making.

This trip marks the first international training event for Cornell’s wildlife hospital faculty. The connection was made through Katherine Zhou Rubinstein, D.V.M. ’23, the event’s curriculum specialist. A college alumna and former student assistant at the wildlife hospital, Rubinstein is from Shenzhen, China and currently practices in Jamesville, New York. She also served as translator for the lecture and lab materials and in conversations for the Cornell team.

“Her role was key in ensuring the accurate presentation of our scientific and veterinary content,” Childs-Sanford said.

“As a Chinese-born, U.S-trained veterinarian, I have always aimed for building connections between wildlife medicine professionals in the U.S. and China. I hope the success of this event will inspire more international collaborations to help advance wildlife care and animal welfare in China,” Rubinstein said.

The Wildlife Rescue Veterinary Training event attracted over 50 participants from more than 27 institutions across China, including 15 zoos and wildlife parks; six national nature reserves, national park management or wetland conservation authorities; four wildlife rescue or conservation organizations; and multiple universities or research institutions. It aimed for international collaboration in wildlife veterinary medicine to advance global standards in wildlife welfare and rescue practices, all through a cross-border professional exchange.

In addition to Rubinstein as the event’s curriculum specialist, organizers included Iva Pan (Yufei), a graduate researcher in animal studies at New York University, affiliated with Elefam; and Adela Li (Yanqi), executive director and Elefam member.

“We’re pleased to advance the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital’s role as a leader in wildlife medicine, and to share its potential for building capacity both domestically and internationally for veterinary care and welfare of free-ranging wild animals,” Childs-Sanford said.

Written by Melanie Greaver Cordova