Zoo Staff

Dr. Guthrie to Join the Zoological Society of London

Dr. Amanda Guthrie will be leaving this month to work for the Zoological Society of London, one of the world’s largest and most diverse animal collections, as Senior Veterinary Officer. The Zoological Society of London oversees both the London Zoo, located in Regents Park, and the Whipsnade Safari Park, which is the largest Zoo in the UK and is located 40 miles from the London Zoo. Together these animal collections number more than 21,700 individual specimens.

Dr. Guthrie has been an integral part of the Virginia Zoo’s staff, overseeing the veterinary medicine and nutrition program for five years. In that time she has performed annual wellness checkups, animal treatments and surgeries, planned the opening of the Zoo’s $4 million Animal Wellness Campus and seen to its unique medical equipment needs. In addition to her regular Zoo workload, Dr. Guthrie has been the lead investigator involving field research on diseases that affect the amphibian and reptile populations of Hampton Roads and has published these findings.  Dr. Guthrie is a member of the exam committee for the American College of Zoological Medicine where she creates and administers the exam that certifies expertise in zoological medicine. In recent years she has also provided medical care and assistance for Thailand’s Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary, and next year she will begin teaching an international course in wildlife medicine.

 “I’m excited for the opportunity to be making an impact on wildlife and conservation around the world,” Guthrie said. “The Zoo’s animal collection is outstanding and includes some of my favorites including tree kangaroos, Chinese giant salamanders, pigmy hippos and more.…it is really a dream come true.” she added. “I’m definitely going to miss the Virginia Zoo staff who all have such an outstanding commitment to animal care, and Dimitri and Mateo,” Guthrie laughs, as everyone knows the two prehensile-tailed porcupines are her favorites – along with the tiger cubs.

“While we are sad to see Dr. Amanda go, the work she has done here has been exceptional and we feel fortunate to have had her as part of the Zoo team,” said Greg Bockheim, Executive Director of the Virginia Zoo. “We are thrilled for her and this next big step in here career and we look forward to hearing about her experiences with the very exotic collection of animals, and people, she will be working with.”  The Virginia Zoo will have the privilege of having a very close connection to the Zoological Society of London thanks to Dr. Guthrie.

A North Carolina native, Dr. Guthrie knew she wanted to be a veterinarian as a little girl. She graduated North Carolina State University as a Thomas Jefferson Scholar with two degrees– animal science and political science. Guthrie studied veterinary medicine at the University of Illinois and was hired in 2007 as a part-time vet for the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas. She then went onto Zoo Boise and finally landed in Norfolk in 2011 as the Virginia Zoo’s first full-time vet.