NIELSEN DONATO

AVIAN AND EXOTIC ANIMAL MEDICINE

A Managing Partner also at Vets in Practice, Inc., Dr. Nielsen has made a name for himself as co-host of Born to be Wild, a GMA Network travel documentary show featuring wildlife.

Once just a child who was frustrated that there weren’t any wildlife vets to treat his exotic nonhuman animal companions, he has now become arguably one of the most famous soft-tissue, orthopedic, and Avian and Exotic Animal vets in the Philippines. Dr. Nielsen has been able to share his passion and concern for wildlife with viewers of his show for the past decade.

Before “Born to be Wild,” Dr. Nielsen would visit schools to educate students about his wildlife advocacy, however small the student groups would be. “But being in the media,” he says, “this multiplies my advocacy to millions every time we get aired on national TV.”

This wide reach has undoubtedly sparked an interest among viewers to pursue wildlife practice, but this spark must grow into a lifelong advocacy and passion to succeed as a wildlife vet.

According to Dr. Nielsen, unlike other fields of veterinary medicine, wildlife practice has to do more with voluntary work than working for income. “There are a few NGOS that hire Wildlife vets, but it is still something that won’t be sustainable especially when you have a family,” he says.

As a consultant for several zoos in the Philippines and as a head of his own rescue center, he faces the constant challenge of advocating for the welfare of the nonhuman animals while educating Filipino zoogoers to respect wildlife.

Though Dr. Nielsen doesn’t force them, his son and daughter have decided to follow in his footsteps to pursue veterinary medicine. His clinic, he says, has “young vets who are inspiring to be loyal and might be future partners, and my children can be one of them.”

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