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Zoos SA celebrates Vet Nurse Day and a nomination for Vet Nurse of the Year as Brush-tailed Bettong gets a health check

It might be Vet Nurse Day but there’s no rest for the wonderful vet nurses at Zoos SA with a Brush-tailed Bettong getting a health check.

“Zoos SA is very lucky to employ 10 talented and highly skilled veterinary nurses who undertake all manner of work to take care of our animals and run our hospitals. Vet Nurse Day is a fantastic way to acknowledge their role as well as being a great opportunity to say thanks for all they do,” said Elaine Bensted, CE of Zoos SA.

“There’s never a quiet moment in our animal hospitals and our resilient vet nurses seem to be able to bounce from one situation to the next,” said Elaine.

Today saw no time to dwell on their achievements over the last year, with Rambo, a Brush-tailed Bettong taken to visit the veterinary team at Adelaide Zoo for a weigh-in, check and cuddle.

Dianne (Di) Hakof, Zoos SA’s Veterinary Nurse and Hospital Manager who has worked for Zoos SA for 28 years, was one of the nation’s vet nurses nominated for this year’s Veterinary Nurse of the Year.

Di, a vet nurse for 33 years, said: “I was humbled to learn that I’d been nominated.”

“There are so many deserving veterinary nurses around that it’s an honour to even be in the mix.
“I believe that a large part of the reason why I was nominated is down to the fact that I work within such a fantastic team.

The theme of this year’s Vet Nurse Day was for nurses to state why they loved their work.
Di said: “I love being a vet nurse because I love my work, I love the animals and I love the team I work with. Together we can win the battle against extinction.”

“Our vet nurses are an incredible force working both within our two Zoos SA sites but also attending to animals elsewhere such as on Kangaroo Island after the horrific bushfires,” finished Elaine.

Zoos SA veterinary nurses work across both Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Safari Park sites caring for over 3,000 animals that call the sites home as well other animals that fall into their care.

In early 2020, veterinary nurses from Zoos SA joined vets, keepers and other organisations on Kangaroo Island to take care of bushfire affected animals.