A Career In Wildlife Biology

Taylor Woodruff

Mr Alburger

English III

30 January 2018
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Taylor Woodruff

Mr Alburger

English III

30 January 2018

A Career in Wildlife Biology

The planet Earth exists as an incredible and unique place. Inhabited by billions of living

creatures; its sprawling land masses and mysterious oceans brim with an enormous variety of

animals and plants. Humans, one of these many creatures, fascinate themselves with the life

around them, and some devote their lives to their study and protection. Such humans become

known as wildlife biologists. Wildlife biologists research anything from animal behavior,

location, to role in their ecosystem; information that highly influences conservation efforts. In

recent years, this career has become especially necessary, due to shifting animal patterns and

damage to habitats. Because research conducted in the field of wildlife biology expands humans’

knowledge of the world they inhabit and aids in the battle against mass extinction, this career

persists as an essential one to our modern world.

Wildlife biology boasts a rich and complex history, albeit with difficult to trace origins.

While the study of animals in their environment likely originated thousands of years ago, the

modern understanding and iteration of wildlife biology specifically began in or around the 19th

century. Charles Darwin pioneered the methodical study of wildlife during his famed trips to the

Galapagos Islands, in which he studied and documented the islands’ unique wildlife extensively

(Brown). These trips influenced another vital figure to the world of conservation and biology:

Aldo Leopold. Born on January 11, 1887, Leopold displayed a conservationist mindset from a
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very early age. For example, when hunting, Aldo would never allow himself to hunt animals of

dwindling populations or of endangered status. Although, he did share some controversial views

of the Naturalists at the time. For example, Leopold wanted to exterminate varmints -

troublesome wild animals - so humans could utilize game species more effectively. These views

changed over time. In his adult life, Aldo became one of the most prevalent conservationists and

biologists of his era, creating revolutionary ideas such as his famous Land Ethic writing. This

essay outlined how nature deserves treatment to the same responsible and ethical extent as any

aspect of human society, and sparked many of the conservation mindsets and efforts observable

today. Leopold’s work went on to influence many further wildlife biologists including the

distinguished Adolph Murie, and shaped modern biology and conservation as a whole (Frese).

However, one does not require fame or such remarkable achievements to pursue a life in wildlife

biology; only a substantial work ethic and a passion for the natural world.

In order to enter the career of wildlife biology, one must obtain multiple certifications

and qualifications, with a higher education degree almost required. Due to the complex nature of

animal anatomy and behavior, and the competitive nature of wildlife agencies that employ

biologists, years of instruction, training, and post-education internships occur frequently in the

pursuit of a career as a wildlife biologist. To begin, a prospective biologist should obtain at least

a bachelor’s degree from university, majoring in a related field or specialization. Additionally,

important classes include chemistry, physics, technology, and general biology to provide a

broader knowledge of scientific concepts that would affect career activities. However, for

positions above entry level, a wildlife biologist ideally achieves a PhD in zoology or wildlife

biology to demonstrate mastery of the concepts needed for field work (“What”). To obtain such
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qualifications and knowledge, a wide array of colleges and universities offer programs for

zoology. Some of the more prestigious few include Cornell University and the University of

California-Davis (“Top”). Training for zoologists does not stop at the college level, however. As

alluded to earlier, post-graduate program and internship participation occurs very commonly

amongst wildlife biologists, in order to acquire crucial real world experience that aids in

qualifying for job openings and performing well in said positions. Internships in this career path

can vary both in where they take place or who provides them. For instance, the US Fish and

Wildlife service offers internships and assistantships to new zoologists to aid in propelling their

career (“Co-op/Internships”). Beyond education and internship, one can further a career in

wildlife biology by receiving certification by the Wildlife Society; a common practice for driven

scientists. The Wildlife Society offers two main certifications, known as the Associate Wildlife

Biologist® and Certified Wildlife Biologist® honors, with qualification judged upon experience

level and multiple rigorous standards being met fully (“Certification”). Achieving these

certifications provides a wildlife biologist with an enormous boost to his or her credentials, and

earns them a reputation of knowledge and respect.

Once graduated from university and with training and certification complete, a wildlife

biologist truly begins their research. While many branches of wildlife biology exist, most

branches share commonalities in their aim. Wildlife biology, at its core, consists primarily of the

study of animals and the ways in which they interact with each other and their environment

(“Zoologists”). Although, said study varies from lab experiments or observation to tracking

animals in the wild and documenting their behavior to using computer software to estimate

population sizes (“Zoologists”). The wide array of activities performed by individuals of this
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career choosing makes the day to day work difficult to generalize and pin down, but elevates

wildlife biology as one of the more unique and exciting pursuits.

To branch into more specifics about the work performed by wildlife biologists, a good

starting point consists of animal tracking and pattern analysis. One of wildlife biologists’ most

important duties, they study the extent to which current animal populations survive and in what

environment they do so. Firstly, biologists can perform this through tagging. Tagging an animal

means marking a wild specimen with some sort of identifying tag to track their location over

time. In recent years, tags have become smaller and less intrusive for the animal; a successful

method shown in PIT tagging. Using this method, a biologist inserts a small, glass encased

microchip into the skin of a desired tag animal. Scientists trigger this tag remotely and it

provides valuable location data over time for the host animal (Gibbons). PIT tagging remains one

of the safest and least intrusive methods of tagging, due to the tag resting just beneath the skin.

Furthermore, PIT tagging can provide other useful information about an animal, illustrated in

one case in which a tagged snake with a single code outputted two codes when the computer

analyzed it. The tagged snake had eaten another tagged specimen! This aided the scientists

greatly by giving previously unknown insight into the feeding habits of the pit viber that their

studies revolved around (Gibbons). Many other types of GPS tagging exist, like bands, radio, and

argos doppler tags, but in general the following principle applies to the way biologists utilize all

of them (“Using”). Most tagging involves the mark and recapture method. This means an animal

receives a tag and ID number after its capture. Then, researches liberate the specimen, and allow

it to re-enter its natural habitat. Next, after a set period of time, the researchers recapture the

animal and analyze the data provided by the tag itself, and the condition of the animal. This
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yields an enormous range of information, such as feeding and migration patterns, survival rate,

how the animal’s environment effects it, and many more aspects of the animal’s living

conditions (Gibbons). Tagging’s safety and non-intrusive nature make the procedure seem like

an ideal option to effectively observe animal patterns, but leave questions as to the size of their

populations.

Wildlife biologists wield multiple population estimation methods to analyze the current

numbers of a selected species. Biologists likely cannot count the populations’ totals outright,

because some animals’ population numbers soar into the millions. So, they employ mathematical

and observatory methods. Mark and recapture, seen previously in relation to the application of

tracking tags, also stands as one of the most prevalent population estimation methods. In this

form of mark and recapture, scientists first capture animals and place some form of identifier on

them. This could range from tags to even paint or ID numbers. Then, the scientists release the

specimens back into their habitat. After a predetermined time period, capturing occurs once

again, and scientists count the number of caught organisms with marks. The formula p = MC/ R

estimates the total population from this data where M= animals captured and marked in the first

trapping, C = total animals captured the second time, and R = the number of marked animals

captured in the second session. So, the proportion of marked to unmarked animals can work to

estimate a population's’ size without having to perform a total count; without question an

incredibly taxing effort (“Estimating”). Another way wildlife biologists procure populations

sizes might consist of simply sampling in certain areas; they cordon off a small area and the

population within it gets counted. Biologists perform the sample multiple times, and multiply the

average counts in each sample to provide an estimate for the population of the total area. Finally,
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biologists indirectly examine animal and plant populations through observing evidence they

leave behind. Based on a species’ traces in the environment, the scientists can garner knowledge

of a species’ health, size, and movement (Paradise).

Aside from animal analysis, wildlife biologist’ career may also involve extensive field

work or research expeditions. An essential aspect of wildlife biology, as previously stated, has

scientists examine animals’ effect on their environment and vice versa. So, to accomplish this,

wildlife biologists often must venture to locations far away from home to observe exotic or more

rare individuals in their habitat. Research expeditions performed in this field come in many

forms, and have occured for quite a long time. A research expedition by a biologist named Max

Weber provides an adequate example of such an expedition, and an early one at that. This

expedition, known as the Siboga Expedition, ventured into modern day Indonesia and began

around 1899. The researchers on the trip aimed to explore the Malayan seas and the life within

them. Likely the source of the expeditions name, Max Weber and his team of researchers

performed their studies from a ship dubbed ​Siboga​, a converted military boat and gunship. In

order to accommodate the six wildlife biologists aboard, technicians installed a laboratory that

allowed them to carry out necessary tests on the ship itself. During the course of the expedition,

the team used tools including sonar, visual observation, and capturing and studying animals to

accurately gauge the contents of the diverse ecosystem contained in the archipelago. They found

that the Malayan sea contained many never before seen species, and they revealed their

behavioral patterns successfully (Pieters). Expeditions like this one might consume an extensive

amount of resources and man hours, but generate a payoff well worth the cost. Wildlife

biologists can learn of possibly unknown habitats and species, an extremely valuable asset to the
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scientific community, but also human knowledge as a whole. With greater awareness of the

diverse wildlife around them, humans in general should logically treat them with greater care and

appreciation. Finally, expeditions carried out by wildlife biologists allow them to employ a wide

array of research methods for more accurate results.

Wildlife biologists, depending on their specialization, may perform experiments in a

controlled environment, research behavioral patterns and inter-species relationships, study

biological aspects of animals and plants, and even create wildlife management and conservation

policies based upon their findings (“Zoologists”). Said experiments and lab work reveal

knowledge of the biological makeup, adaptations, or anatomy of animals studied. Knowing about

the adaptations a certain animal has benefits environmental science by accomplishing one of the

pillars of the wildlife biology field: it allows humans to observe how the organism’s environment

affects it. An adaptation arises in general as a result of external influence, so biologists can glean

information about what role an organism plays in its environment based on how it has adapted to

it. One can consider the final duty, the creation of policies and protections, biologists’ work

getting applied in the outside world. Based on their findings and studies, biologists substantially

alter humanities’ conservation efforts in preserving nature’s abundance of organisms.

The modern and contemporary ages of history, recently concluded and currently taking

place respectively, have seen the evolution of humans’ technological capacity unfold

exponentially. From Industrialization forward, humans use of technology, machines, and energy

has become central to their existence (​Science​). However, these positive developments- e.g.

harvesting fossil fuels for energy- have a profoundly negative effect on the Earth’s ecosystems

and the organisms inhabiting them. Within the last few centuries making up said time periods,
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human’s actions have brought on an effect known as extinction to a large number of species.

Extinction describes the loss of plant and animal species, when they die out due to many factors

(“What Do We Mean”). A normal rate of extinction, dubbed background extinction, occurs

constantly, and takes place due to natural environmental factors. Background extinction does not

have an exceptional effect on the world’s populations, and for the most part does not have a

pinpointable source. However, another type of extinction exists, called mass extinction, and this

phenomenon currently wreaks havoc on the natural world. Scientists define mass extinction as an

extinction event that a large environmental change brings about, and causes the loss of an

enormous number of organisms. Vast amounts of species dying out only occurs due to

significant changes in the ecosystem, climate, natural disasters, and other causes. Scientists have

defined five mass extinctions in the history of Earth, including the extinction event that wiped

out the dinosaurs (“What are Mass”). Shockingly, many scientists claim the Earth now faces a

sixth mass extinction, while some claim it has already begun. Known as the Holocene

Extinction, today’s extinction event has its roots in human activities. With causation ranging

from human pollution, habitat destruction, disease, and greenhouse gas emissions, animal and

plant populations’ decline causes concern in any environmentally conscious mind. A

disheartening fact that demonstrates the dire situation plaguing Earth; estimates place species

loss in the last century in the upper 1,000’s range (“Extinction”). Furthermore, species diversity

seems to follow a similar pattern, with animal variety at an all time low. When a species faces

trouble because of human actions or otherwise, it becomes classified as “endangered” by

scientists, with varying degrees of severity (“Extinction”). Although dangerously threatened, the
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organisms in this classification receive aid from the field of wildlife biology that could possibly

ensure their survival.

To help protect and sustain endangered species, wildlife biologists perform many

important tasks that indirectly or directly accomplish this. Indirectly, this scientific field acts as a

shield for endangered species by identifying their existence in the first place. The analyzing of

animal behavior, numbers, feeding habits, and environmental interaction provides scientists with

a great understanding of whether a species should receive classification as endangered or

otherwise, and demonstrates how a species thrives in its environment. Secondly, wildlife

biologists study of migratory patterns gives humans a greater knowledge of where it may cost

animal lives to build heavy machinery such as dams or wind farms. If humans construct such

structures in the path of say, salmon migrations to their breeding grounds, these animals’

populations would drastically decrease due to their inability to spawn. The valuable data mined

from tagging and tracking animals can show companies and governments whether a project will

interfere with their natural ecological processes. Members of this career field also directly protect

threatened animals. To do this, wildlife biologists occasionally specialize in the area of wildlife

management and protection; therefore they directly build plans and policies to protect animals

and plants who do not fare well (“Zoologists”). Such policies may turn to law if said scientists

sought employment in a government organization, or a National Park agency (“What is an

Endangered”). This would likely deter harmful behavior such as overfishing and poaching, as a

penalty would apply to anyone or any organization who violated the law. For example, the

Marine Mammal Protection Act, among other protections, gives safety to whales by making

killing, harassing, or injuring them illegal. Whales have historically faced a large amount of
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hunting and population depletion due to their valuable fat, oil, and bones; a fact shown through

the studies of wildlife biologists. But, with it now illegal to do so, human slaughtering of whales

will hopefully lessen (“Detailed”). To summarize, wildlife biologists’ efforts first showed the

whales’ endangered status, and those working in government and regulatory organizations took

that information to assist in their preservation. Observing similar efforts by wildlife biologists

does not prove a difficult task, as their work has played a key role in the protection of many

species of animals.

In conclusion, wildlife biology stands as an exciting and ever fluctuating career path, and

one cannot understate its aptitude for preserving the natural world. Fueled by the competition

involved with landing a job in this field, eager wildlife biologists use the many tools available to

them to accurately evaluate the Earth’s ecosystems and the life inside of them. For the planet’s

natural environment to remain preserved, and to prevent an impending sixth mass extinction,

collaboration between wildlife biologists and governmental agencies must take place. The

research provided in the field can allow for the construction of policies that intelligently protect

endangered species, and keep them from disappearing completely. Also, wildlife biology

provides humans with vital knowledge of the world around them that betters their existence in

the global community. For these reasons, the career has immense importance to the

contemporary lifestyle, and must remain a large part of the scientific community.
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