ANIMAL LOVER

I was at the LA Zoo yesterday, where I’m on the Medical Advisory Board. I mainly consult on primates 🦧who have skin conditions – my favorite volunteer work!

It’s been a privilege to be in close contact with these animals and see the tremendous work that the keepers and curators do behind the scenes to care for them.

I’ve seen firsthand how human and veterinary medicine can benefit from each other. And I love learning about the biology and sociology of different animals.

This North American porcupine, Teddy, has about 30,000 quills covering his body.

Porcupine quills contain free fatty acids that act as a natural antibiotic. In fact, studies show that porcupine quill extract even kills Staph bacteria. It’s thought that this helps protect them from infection if they fall and get stuck by their own quills.

They also vocalize in many situations, including when they eat – I could listen to him all day!

What’s your favorite animal and why? Tell me in Comments below 👇🏼