Zachary
Dvornicky-Raymond

We quietly watched this leopardess hold the riverbank at golden hour — six puku on the far side, cautiously passing through. They knew, for now, they were safe.

Same week, at the Lion Footprint Forum 2025: Our EWCL team presented our human-lion conflict survey findings and co-facilitated a convening of lion conservation practitioners from across Africa.

While working at the Cheetah Conservation Fund, I had the privilege of joining the lead field researchers to check in on a recently-leased, rehabilitated cheetah. Though she had sustained an injury to her eye, she was able to successfully re-establish a territory and thrive in the wild. A second after I took this photo, she locked eyes with me. In her, I saw the fierce strength and resilience of nature.

Pictured left: Though we often showcase the animals we work so hard to save, there are countless conservationists working hard behind the scenes to make it so. One of my favorite aspects of my time in China was working with the amazing team at the Chengdu Panda Base. I miss them all the time. This was pre-COVID19; the world was a different place. I loved China and hope to work there again someday. Being part of the special Smithsonian-CPB partnership still remains one of my proudest life moments.

Pictured right: Few people have ever seen a giant panda in-person. Even fewer have seen them in the wild. I’m unbelievably grateful to have been part of a monitoring visit for a young female who lived deep within the mountains of southern China. My role was helping to train the field team on point-of-care diagnostic testing to evaluate wild panda health.

This photo captures the first time I ever placed sutures in a patient. This is an albino coatimundi (Nasua narica) that had a wound on its paw. The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center is a national treasure and does fantastic conservation work throughout Belize. They invite veterinary students (like young Zack) to learn from their team about the spectacular animals of Belize while also providing top-quality veterinary care.

Dr. Sharon Matola founded the Belize Zoo in 1983 and dedicated the rest of her life to advocating for the wildlife of Belize while giving thousands of people (many of them Belizean) the opportunity to learn about and celebrate the natural world around them. Sharon’s legacy lives on through the ongoing education and conservation programs at the Belize Zoo, and in the hearts of everyone who knew her. Sharon inspired people through her passionate stories, infectious love for nature, and quintessential signs (pictured here) at the zoo. I’m grateful to have shared moments with her over a couple Belikins and hope to return someday to support the team.

When you see a bird with a 3-meter wingspan fly over your head, it’s hard to imagine through the awe that they can be quite goofy and curious. We often depict condors as a living relic of the Pleistocene, immemorially crucial to their ecosystems, and yet so threatened by humanity (and our lead ammo/sinkers). All of this is true, as is the fact that grandpa and grandma have a silly side. Here, a few curious individuals watch as we do our field work. The guy in the right photo decided to fly down from his perch to come stand by me and check out what I was doing. One of the many joys of my job is in experiencing each individual animal’s personality come through and, through mutual curiosity, communicating with one another.

As my career path has evolved and changed course, so too has my approach. I’ve learned over the years that, for better or worse, I don’t fit in a traditional box. Many veterinarians that seek to go the wildlife route build careers working for zoos/aquariums/parks or become epidemiologists. Neither path fit me, so I’ve come to terms with the (hard) fact that I need to blaze my own trail. It’s been downright difficult, but I am so grateful that this has led me to where I am today (Apr 2026): working as the Program Manager for Save Pangolins and partnering closely with some of my dearest colleagues/friends at WCN on a program designed to empower and uplift early-career pangolin conservationists around the world. Look out for the Rising Wildlife Leaders – Pangolin Cohort! Through this role, I get to directly support conservationists around the world, help guide the future of our efforts, and grow as a conservation leader. This gives me such joy and hope!