More About Dr. P
Dr. Palazzolo (Dr. P) started working with animals professionally in 1978 in Rochester, Michigan after graduating from the Michigan State University Veterinary School. In addition to dogs, cats, birds and other small critters, he also provided medical care for injured wildlife. In 1980 he moved to California and continued his exotic animal and wildlife medical work in California and around the world for the next 4 decades. Here are a few photos from his early medical work. 46 years later the majority of his work in veterinary medicine now consists of teaching veterinary students and recent graduates all phases of veterinary medicine.
His first wildlife patient was an owl with an injured wing that was named “Professor Hoot”.
Removing a fish hook from a pelican’s stomach.
Holding a baby elephant seal that was stranded on the beach.
Coffee time before an exam
Baby chimpanzee exam
Tooth exam on an Asian elephant
Lump check on the head of a baby leopard
Feeding a bengal tiger before an exam
Heart check on a camel
Teaching veterinary students avian surgery
Worldwide Photography and Conservation Trips
In 1986 Dr. P took his first trip to Africa, and started on his journey of observing, photographing, documenting, and working with wildlife and people throughout the world. This journey has taken him to all 7 continents. He has been to Africa 11 times, with many more trips to Africa and elsewhere planned in the future. Below are a few of the many photos the populate his Veterinary Photography website. One of the more unique species he worked with on these travels was our distant cousin, the orangutan. When you exam one of these babies it is hard to determine who examined whom!
First Serengeti visit in 1986
Sedating a lion with the Kenya Wildlife Service
Teaching photography to Masai guides
With a Hadza hunting party in Tanzania
Dr. P's new Hadza best friend
Baby orangutan exam in Borneo
Three people were needed to hold this guy still for his exam
The upside down baby orangutan technique
Our 1991 post exam photo
Recreating the post exam photo, this time in 2012 with a different little guy
Barrel of troublemakers ready to play
Ready for some fun
Recreating the post exam photo, this time in 2012 with a different little guy
In Mongolia with a master eagle falconer
Falklands breakfast with the albatross chicks
Dr P photographing rockhopper penguins in the Falklands
With an elephant seal in the Falkland Islands
Dr P touching a juvenile elephant seal in the Falkland Islands
Dr P hanging with a King Penguin in the Falkland Islands
Hanging with curious Gentoo Penguin chicks in the Falkland Islands
The calm before the storm on the boat ride back from Antarctica through the Drake Passage
Dr P in the Arctic on a snowmobile polar bear trip
Dr P holding two sedated mountain lion (cougar) cubs
The mother of the two cougar cubs
Alaska grey wolf love bite
Grizzly bear (coastal brown bear) walk past in Alaska
In Zimbabwe with an anti-poaching park ranger
With sedated rhino for a radio collar to prevent poaching
With a troop of gorillas in Rwanda
Lunch with the orangutans