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CORE Activity Blog

Robotic Milkers and Bovine Free Will

Posted May 17, 2017

On May the 10th I had the pleasure of attending the Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare Research Symposium. One presentation in particular that caught my attention was the first presentation on robotic milking. 
 
Initially, I thought the presentation would be about the detriments of mechanization to animal welfare, as this is usually the trend when we are talking about animal care. Especially in factory farming and so on, in which, when the human contact is limited it allows the propagation of cruelty and inhumane conditions. 
 

Plague in the Modern World

Posted August 16, 2016

On August 8th, I had the opportunity to attend the 71st International Conference on Diseases in Nature Communicable to Man, also known to attendees as INCDNCM. One talk that was particularly interesting was that of Dr. Kenneth Gage from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which was titled “The Changing Status of Plague in the Modern World”. This talk provided background into the history of plague outbreaks, and delved into the current status of plague and the risk factors surrounding the likelihood of a serious modern pandemic. This post will be a brief summary of the talk.

Veterinary Education in a Global Context – My Experience at INCDNCM

Posted August 15, 2016

By Elizabeth Hartnett

From wildlife to the clinic

Posted August 10, 2016

On August 8th, I had the privilege of attending the 71st International Conference on Diseases in Nature Communicable to Man, yes a mouthful.  But, affectionately known as INCDNCM or INKY!  This creative and catchy name matches the spirit and personality of this conference.  All the speakers were very passionate about their respective topics, which makes a long conference day seem short.  This conference emphasized the idea of One Health and a transdisciplinary approach to health.  This topic is trending across veterinary medicine and various other conferences.

Viruses and Bacteria that Fight Cancer?

Posted August 8, 2016

By: Melissa Pinto

The Role of the Toronto Zoo in Conservation

Posted August 8, 2016

Last Saturday (July 23rd) I had the opportunity to attend a behind the scenes tour at the Toronto Zoo. When we arrived at the zoo, we were divided into 4 small groups to learn about different roles of the zoo and I learned what conservation is all about. Specifically, I learned about the Eastern loggerhead shrike and what the Toronto Zoo is doing to help keep this endangered species alive. In the 1990’s, it was discovered that the numbers in Eastern loggerhead shrikes were rapidly declining in Canada—only 18 breeding pairs were found in Ontario.

Camels and baby Pandas!

Posted August 2, 2016

On Saturday July 23rd I was lucky to attend the CORE programs Zoo trip to the Toronto Zoo. The trip began with a behind the scenes tour, during which the students were split into groups of 4-6, each group experiencing a different aspect of Zoo care. My group went to visit the Camels and there keeper. The keeper was extremely knowledge and had been working with the camels at the Toronto Zoo for upwards of 20 years! He discussed the differences and similarities to horses with us. Then took us over to meet one of the older girls that is currently pregnant.

An Uplifting Day at the Toronto Zoo

Posted July 27, 2016

On Saturday July 23rd we boarded the bus outside OVC for a day trip to the Toronto Zoo, and what an experience it was! We arrived at the zoo and were led to the animal care facilities for a behind the scenes tour. The tour started with a brief presentation on the experiences of one of the full time veterinarians and one of the residents on their journey to becoming certified zoo medicine veterinarians. This was very enlightening and showed that many different paths can be taken to accomplish this one goal.