Saltus Summer Magazine 2013 Page 41

S A L T U S M A G A Z I N E

4 1

HE MAY

not exactly talk to the animals, but Ian

Walker likes to compare his job to a modern-day
"Dr. Doolittle," the fictional surgeon of the 1920s
children's book series whose penchant for non-
human patients takes him from Africa to the moon
and back. As a veterinarian and Principal Curator
of Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo, Dr.
Walker's life is just as peripatetic; one day he might
be operating on an injured tree kangaroo, leading
an offshore reef tour, or removing fishing line from
a turtle's gut; the next, he's rescuing a stranded seal
or making sure the lemur troupe doesn't get bored.

"You never know what to expect--every single

minute is different," says the 1989 Saltus graduate,
whose mother, Kay Walker Steele, taught at
Cavendish and the Junior School for 39 years.

It's been a rollercoaster of activity and achieve-

ments for Ian, 41, since he returned from the uS in
2004 to take a leading role at the Island's long-time
top attraction. Over the past decade, he has been
instrumental in taking BAMZ to a world-class
level, making it a facility with state-of-the-art
animal care and people-pleasing infrastructure, as
well as ramping up programme offerings, such as
the Bermuda Zoological Society's free, on-site
science classes for thousands of local students.

With the help of a "passionate" team of

co-workers whom he credits for BAMZ's evolution,
Ian helped drive the successful $8.4-million BZS
capital campaign and oversaw BAMZ's all-important
re-accreditation by the Association of Zoos &
Aquariums (AZA). He went on to custom-design a
3,600-sq-ft Animal Care Centre--complete with
surgery, pharmacy, laboratory, zoo kitchen and
quarantine rooms--and guided creation of a
dynamic free-flight, walk-through exhibit,
"Madagascar: Land of Mystery & Wonder," which
opened in 2011. Since then, he has engineered this
spring's opening of a waterfront café at BAMZ and
is overseeing replacement of the Aquarium's roof.

After Saltus Senior Year, Ian spent one year at

Queen's university, Kingston, ON, before transferring
to the university of Edinburgh for five years of
veterinary studies. After graduation, he worked for
a short time in small-animal medicine in Aberdeen,
and at BAMZ as an aquarist, before joining the
National Aquarium in Baltimore for six years. He

also worked as a rescue vet for the Tri-State area,
helping injured whales, seals and dolphins.

His return to the Island was a homecoming of

sorts. With his wife Tanja (now a Biology teacher
at Saltus Secondary) and son Liam (S5) in tow, Ian
was keen to bring to BAMZ what he'd learned
overseas in exotic animal care and wildlife rehab.

"The world of zoos and aquariums has gone

through huge changes in past decades, both physically
and philosophically," he says. "They have an education
mission these days. It's about the environment--
why it's important to protect it. That's what we're
here for: to raise awareness and, where possible,
to make a difference in the natural world. Zoos are
increasingly becoming `arks' for wild species that
wouldn't otherwise survive in the wild because their
natural habitat has disappeared."

Ian has fond memories of Saltus--where he

played rugby and the flute--and feels the School
prepared him well for his challenging career. "I
wanted to be a vet since I was 12," he says. "It's a
hands-on job; you're using your skills and the
science you have learned to sort out challenges in
almost everything you do."

--Rosemary Jones

Dr. Ian
Walker / '89

Dr. DoLots!

`Zoos are

becoming
"arks" for
wild
species
that
wouldn't
otherwise
survive in
the wild'

Dr. Ian Walker: "It's about the environment"