Ariel Gonzalez

Education

• B.S. Animal Science, Pre-Veterinary Option; California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 2016

• MSc Wild Animal Biology; Royal Veterinary College, London, 2021

Research/Interests

I’ve had the pleasure of working on three separate projects on San Clemente Island: San Diego Zoo San Clemente Island Loggerhead Shrike Project ‘17/’18, IWS Island Fox Project ‘19/’20, and IWS San Clemente Island Bell’s Sparrow Project ’22; and am excited to return as the project lead for the Island Fox Project on San Clemente Island. The main aspects of the island fox project include trapping, handling, and telemetry for population monitoring and disease investigations, as well as providing veterinary care to injured foxes in our Foxpital.

Surrounded by a multitude of animals growing up, I decided to pursue a career in veterinary medicine hoping to focus on equine, zoo, or wildlife. Due to a change of circumstances, and a few years volunteering with the Los Angeles Zoo, I found myself working with the San Diego Zoo on SCI. This introduced me to a career outside of a zoo setting where I continued my passion for conservation and medicine by working in wildlife rehabilitation and attaining my master’s in a combination wild animal conservation and medicine degree. I completed my thesis on evaluating the habitat and environmental correlates of serval distribution in Tanzania by analyzing collected camera trap data placed in areas of various levels of land protection. Growing up in Los Angeles, I became very interested in urban wildlife conservation which has helped me shape my current career path of wanting to monitor how urbanization impacts the distribution of animals in their respective habitats, while also becoming a public liaison to reiterate the importance of effective science communication.

In my free time I enjoy playing tennis, riding horses, travelling, camping, birding, and reading. Surrounded by family that used travelling as their escape to the outdoors, I am grateful that I have found this path where I can be immersed in it at all times.