10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

From elephants to axolados.

In the next 10 minutes, we'll get the lowdown on what's up with wildlife

with our very special guest, Dr. Gabby Wilde.

I'm Bethany Van Delft, and this is the 10 News.

March 3rd is World Wildlife Day, a day proclaimed by the United Nations to celebrate

and raise awareness of the world's wild animals and plants. World Wildlife Day was first established in 2013,

and it's become the world's most important annual event dedicated to wildlife. This year's theme

highlights the connection between forests and communities. According to the World Wildlife Day website,

between 200 and 350 million people live within or adjacent to forested areas around the world, relying on the various ecosystem services provided by the forest and forest species for their livelihoods and to cover their most basic needs, including food, shelter, energy,

and medicines.

That's a lot of people.

And even if you don't happen to live in or near a forest, this World Wildlife Day reminds

us how connected we all are as humans to the natural world.

We couldn't think of a better guess for World Wildlife Day than a vet who has traveled the world saving animals, Dr. Gabby Wild.

You might know her from Animal Jam Classic, where she's answered lots of questions from kids

about wild animals.

And I got to talk to her about what it's like being a wildlife vet. So exciting.

My name is Dr. Gabby Wild and I'm a wildlife veterinarian. What does it mean to be a wildlife vet as, you know, instead of a regular vet we'd bring our pets to? What does it mean to be a wildlife vet as, you know, instead of a regular vet we'd bring our pets to?

What does it mean to be a wildlife vet?

So when you bring your pets to their doctor, usually if it's a dog or a cat, you're seeing a general practitioner.

So we call those small animal veterinarians.

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