Conservationist's Journey: Zookeeper to Vet to Leader

Dr. Jan Ramer, a distinguished conservation leader, recently retired after an 11-year career at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds. Throughout her tenure, she fulfilled a childhood ambition, serving as both a zookeeper and veterinarian. Ramer held vice president roles at The Wilds and later led key departments at the Columbus Zoo, focusing on animal care and conservation education.

Her career included impactful work on numerous conservation projects. These efforts ranged from hellbender and American burying beetle reintroductions to Asian elephant conservation and manatee rescues. Notably, she was involved in reintroducing four orphaned eastern lowland gorillas into the Democratic Republic of Congo, having known them since infancy.

Ramer's professional path began at the Indianapolis Zoo after studying biology at Purdue University. She later worked at Brookfield Zoo before a transformative trip to Rwanda in 1985, inspired by Dian Fossey. This experience solidified her desire to become a veterinarian, leading her to veterinary school in Wisconsin.

After graduating, she returned to the Indianapolis Zoo as a veterinarian and later served as regional manager for Gorilla Doctors in Rwanda. Drawn back to the US by the impending arrival of her grandchild, she accepted a veterinarian position at The Wilds, concluding her extensive career in conservation leadership.

Ramer views conservation impact through both quantifiable metrics like donations and visitor numbers, and qualitative measures such as inspiring future generations. She emphasizes the importance of immersive experiences at facilities like The Wilds for public well-being and environmental stewardship. Her personal greatest accomplishment remains her family, to whom she attributes her ability to pursue her conservation passions.