Tarah Hadley, assistant director of veterinary care at San Antonio Zoo, is dedicated to helping exotic animals. She leads an 18-person team at the zoo in Texas. She set up protocols to protect endangered species during the Covid-19 pandemic. She also made sure that the zoo’s at-risk species, including lions, tigers and primates, were at the front of the line to receive vaccinations. With her help, the San Antonio Zoo was one of the first in the US to administer Covid vaccines to its animals.
In addition, her leadership and dedication guaranteed the safety of the zoo’s animal residents during extremely low temperatures in 2021. During the worst winter storm in San Antonio in decades, the power grid was disrupted. Hadley and her team evaluated, warmed and re-homed hundreds of animals.
Hadley, who graduated from Tufts University in Massachusetts in 2002, has always been a passionate advocate for exotic animals. For many years, she provided free veterinary care to injured and orphaned wildlife at the AWARE Wildlife Center in Georgia. After becoming the facility’s executive director in 2011, she turned the small centre into Georgia’s largest for wildlife rehabilitation.
Under her leadership, AWARE rescued, rehabilitated and released more than 3,500 native species each year, including turtles, rabbits and birds. In recent years, Hadley has been helping the homeless pet population in San Antonio. She was named one of five finalists for a national veterinarian award, The Hero Veterinarian, by American Humane.
“Dr Hadley is an exceptional example of a heroic veterinarian who has uplifted many lives. Her transformational leadership, unwavering commitment to wildlife, and positive outlook have helped make San Antonio Zoo the #1 in Texas,” said Tim Morrow, president and CEO of San Antonio Zoo.
San Antonio Zoo is a 50-acre destination home to more than 750 species. Some of these are endangered or extinct in the wild. Operated by the San Antonio Zoological Society, the non-profit zoo welcomes more than one million visitors annually. San Antonio Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Zoological Association of America, and Humane Certified by American Humane.