Wildlife Biologist Vs. Veterinarian?

[star_bound92]

Also if these options are not the best for me, can anyone provide another career path that would be better fitted for me?
I need alot of help. I love animals and i know i want to help them. I originally wanted to be a veterinarian, and i still want that but i realized that it would be alot of work to create my own practice and get my business up and running, so i began to think about Wildlife biology. I want to be able to go out and take care of animals in the wild. But please note, though i would love to work with exotic animals, i would be just as happy being with any animal, giraffes, lions, zebras. I am not specifically wanting to go into endangered species. My only thing is that i would want to be close up to the animals, i would want to touch them, check their temperature, see how that broken leg was healing, you get what i mean?
I already pretty much know that i will follow undergrad college by going to vet school, but i guess what i'm trying to ask is, which would get me farther faster:
A major in Animal Health or in Wildlife?
I need any details you can give me, salary, and how long it would take me to get to that salary. And if veterinarian is the better choice, what chance would i have to get into a zoo like Busch Gardens or something like that?


P.S. The only thing i would NEVER do is work with birds or monkeys

 

[birdgirl]

Sounds like you want to be a Zoo Veterinarian or a Wildlife Veterinarian, not a Wildlife Biologist. Biologists are not doctors for animals and do not treat wild animals, veterinarians do. Wildlife biologists study animals in their natural habitat and may participate in animal management and research. You might think about majoring in zoology, pre-veterinary medicine, or animal science, etc. as an undergrad. Really any science related major will do. You cannot get further faster..you MUST put in 4 years to obtain your Bachelors degree and another 4 years of vet school. You will also need LOTS of hands on experience to get into vet school so you need to volunteer or do an internship at a zoo or veterinary hospital. Also, if you want to be a zoo vet, you will be expected to treat ALL the animals in that zoo..you cannot refuse to treat the birds and/or monkeys because you don't like them. You will not be hired if you are not willing to treat ALL the animals in the zoo. Pay can range greatly depending on exactly what kind of a vet you become and WHO you work for. Becoming a vet is VERY competitive, it is extremely hard to get into vet school. Once graduating..it is extremely hard to get a job at a zoo...most zoos only employ a singe veterinarian and most stay at the zoo they were hired in for their entire career, so these positions do not open up often. Sounds like you need to do more research to determine what exactly each of these careers entails before you make any decisions.