Dr. Daniela Yuschenkoff earned American College of Zoological Medicine board certification as zoological medicine specialist.
The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is proud to announce Dr. Daniela Yuschenkoff is the third member of the Zoo’s veterinary medicine team to earn the prestigious title of Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine (DACZM). There are only about 300 board-certified zoological medicine specialists in the world, and Oklahoma now has six.
“We are very excited to welcome Daniela into the American College of Zoological Medicine,” said Dr. Jennifer D’Agostino, the Zoo’s Chief Animal Programs Officer and ACZM vice president. “This distinction is a testament to all of her training and hard work and we are thrilled that we have another Board Certified Specialist in Zoological Medicine™ on the OKC Zoo vet team.”
Associate Veterinarian Yuschenkoff joins D’Agostino and Dr. Gretchen Cole, the Zoo’s Director of Veterinary Services, as diplomates of the ACZM.
“This is the highest level of certification for a zoo veterinarian,” Yuschenkoff said. “As soon as I knew I wanted to be a zoo vet, this has been my ultimate goal.”
It’s an intense certification program requiring years of veterinary schooling, internship, and residency, culminating in a comprehensive two-day exam.
“It’s a very rigorous process,” she said. “It’s been three years of compiling and organizing information, and six weeks of intense study just cramming all that material in my head before the test. It’s been my goal for more than nine years of my veterinary training, and now that I’ve achieved it, I’m very excited to continue growing, learning, and improving for the sake of our animal family.”
Having three ACZM diplomates at the OKC Zoo indicates the Zoo’s animal family is receiving the best possible veterinary care available, Yuschenkoff said.
In addition to exemplary training, being a diplomate also opens doors for communication and collaboration between veterinarians.
“The zoo veterinarian group is a very small community, but it’s a close-knit community,” she said. “When we’re up against a problem we don’t know how to solve, we can reach out to each other, across specialties, to get the help we need to provide the best care possible for the animals at the Zoo.” Yuschenkoff detailed the amount of intense study and training necessary to complete her certification in a blog at www.okczoo.org.
Guests have the opportunity to view animal exams and procedures at the OKC Zoo’s state-of-the-art Joan Kirkpatrick Animal Hospital and watch the Zoo’s expert veterinary care team in action. Scheduled animal exams are posted on the Zoo’s Facebook page and Instagram stories, and are dependent upon animal participation or other emergencies.
Spend the most wonderful time of the year with OKC ZOO SAFARI LIGHTS, open nightly through January 1, 2025. The Oklahoma City Zoo is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with the last entry no later than 4 p.m. The Zoo will be closed to the public during the daytime on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day as well as Tuesdays and Wednesdays from December 3 through February 5, 2025.
Purchase advance Zoo admission tickets at okczoo.org/tickets and avoid the entry lines. Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the OKC Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, and Oklahoma City’s Adventure District. Zoo admission is $16 for adults and $13 for children ages 3-11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free. Membership has its perks! As a ZOOfriends member of the Oklahoma City Zoo, enjoy free admission all year-long, plus many additional benefits and discounts. You will also be supporting the Zoo’s animal family, education programming and conservation initiatives both locally and globally. Join or renew today at www.okczoo.org/membership.
Stay connected with the Zoo on Facebook, X, Instagram, Linktree and TikTok, and by visiting our blog stories. To learn more about Zoo happenings, call (405) 424-3344 or visit https://www.okczoo.org.
