Dave Jessup didn’t know he wanted to be a vet until he was two weeks away from entering medical school. And he didn’t know he wanted to be a wildlife vet until he was well into vet school. He became one of the first generation of U.S. wildlife vets when he fell into a job at the California Department of Fish and Game. He lists his career highlights as helping re-establish new herds of elk, antelope and bighorn sheep, all of which were nearly extinct in California; leading a research effort to learn how to manage the state’s 4,000 bighorn sheep; and, now, making sure that when his daughter, who’s in elementary school, takes her children to Elkhorn Slough someday, that California sea otters will still be there.

Senior Wildlife Veterinarian
Director, Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center
California Department of Fish and Game
Santa Cruz, California 95060