Balbine Jourdan is a senior veterinary student at Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, who is also pursuing a master’s degree in Public Health. She recently presented her research on the species takin, a hooved-animal native to the Himalayan mountainous region, at the 2018 Joint AAZV/EAZWV/Leibniz-IZW Conference after being awarded financial support from Ohio State alumnus, Tom Mack, DVM, and Ohio State’s Global One Health initiative.

Jourdan and her co-authors created a survey requesting morbidity and mortality data in takin housed in North American Zoological Institutions. This information would lend to improving the welfare of the population in human care, improving the success of breeding programs and, ultimately, maintaining genetic diversity of the species.

At the conference, which took place in Prague, Czech Republic, Jourdan presented her takin research to international and national zoo and wildlife veterinarians and affiliates. She also able attended presentations pertaining to ethics and welfare, hoof stock and primates.