November 2006
Dedicated to Animal Health
Photo provided by Leann Beehler
Lody, one of the Milwaukee County Zoo’s bonobos, wasn’t orangutans where the animals are awake, aware, unrestrained feeling well. Normally the alpha male in the Zoo’s bonobo group, and unstressed,” says Beehler. Subjecting an animal to a Lody began hanging back and got tired quickly. Barbara Bell, a medical procedure requires her to gain trust. Beehler visited bonobo zookeeper, suspected a cardiac problem. So she brought the orangutans twice a week for three months before they in Leann Beehler, an ultrasound technician, to do a scan of Lody’s would allow her to perform an ultrasound. chest. It turned out that Lody had Ultrasounds are done not just on an enlarged heart, which caused his sick animals. Beehler and Zoo staff also lethargy. The great ape was put perform ultrasounds on healthy animals on cardiac medication and is now, to establish what is normal for each one year later, nearly back to his species. For example, Beehler regularly old self. runs cardiac ultrasounds on bonobos. A licensed practical nurse, She also has recruited ultrasound Beehler owned a mobile ultrasound technicians with obstetrical experience business, Medical Care Specialists, to do scans of pregnant bonobos. As a Inc., when Bell recruited her to result, the Zoo has the best database of volunteer her services 11 years ultrasounds of pregnant bonobos in the ago. Beehler brought ultrasound world. Beehler even worked with Bell, equipment to the Zoo in a van and Zoo veterinarians, outside specialists and performed scans on animals as other bonobo keepers on several papers diverse as Vietnamese flying snakes, describing the Zoo’s findings on bonobo tigers, wolves, goats and bats. health. “This research makes it possible “It was a unique way to branch to help species all over the world,” says off and develop expertise in the Beehler. Adds Bell: “Without Leann’s animal area,” says Beehler. dedication to bonobo research, the Zoo In thanks for all the volunteer would not have obtained cardiac research hours Leann Beehler has devoted and biological data on all the great apes. to the Zoo, the Zoological Society It is truly a historical landmark.” recognized her on behalf of the Zoo Beehler, who grew up in Milwaukee, with an in-kind membership in the had always liked the Zoo. When she sold Platypus Society in 1999, and she her ultrasound company in 2004, she Leann Beehler does an ultrasound on an anesthetized gorilla named Linda, whose face is covered by a plastic has been a corporate member of donated one of the ultrasound machines container custom made into an anesthesia mask. the Platypus Society at the bronze to the Zoo’s Animal Health Center. Says level ever since. Beehler: “I enjoy helping the Zoo; I made a lot of friends; Beehler’s skills and equipment were crucial to researching and I feel part of the organization.” She even met her husband, the health of great apes such as gorillas, orangutans and the Deputy Zoo Director Bruce Beehler, here. highly endangered bonobos. “Great apes like bonobos have high Beehler plans to help the Zoo as long as she can. She works rates of cardiac disease,” says Beehler. “Ultrasounds collect very part time doing ultrasounds at the Heart Hospital of Wisconsin, critical data to help this species survive.” For example, zookeepand comes to the Zoo about three times a week to do ultrasounds ers all over the world noticed that while male bonobos frequently on animals. “I enjoy working with animals because they seem so have heart problems, the females rarely do. Beehler hopes that dependent on us and, in some cases, appreciate me more than this information someday will lead to ways to help treat and human patients!” she says. She is often amazed and humbled prevent bonobo heart problems. by how closely some animal organs resemble those of humans. Her work is also notable because some animals are not “There are so many similarities; so I’m always learning. It’s an anesthetized for ultrasounds. “We believe the Milwaukee honor to participate in the health of the animals.” County Zoo was the first zoo to do scans on gorillas and By Julia Kolker