For future zoo vets and anyone interested in comparative anatomy

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der2002

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I just saw the most amazing program on national geographic-- it's called "Raw Anatomy" and they dissect and analyze the anatomy and physiology of various animals. Has anyone else seen it? It's basically a necropsy to determine the death of zoo animals combined with other related interesting scientific tidbits. Thus far, I've watched the elephant and the giraffe. The show is filmed at the Royal Veterinary College, London and it's incredibly visceral and informative. Super cool!
 
im watchin the giraffe now!! (no work for me today 🙂 )
 
Wow!!! Sounds interesting..am going to check it out since I took another day off work..
 
I posted about this on the vet student forum a few days ago. I like how they did the giraffe one (and how they made their pathology floor look cool and mysterious), but the fin whale one was not quite as well coordinated since it was a field necropsy. I'm actually sort of surprised they are showing this on TV. I wonder if viewers would object to a domestic animal dissection...
 
Is this the first show they've done? I watched the giraffe one a few nights ago but didn't get to see the earlier whale and elephant ones. Are those separate episodes or is it all one long episode?


I wouldn't mind seeing an Ostrich done. Or an antelope or some such.

Not sure they'd do domestic animals though. Probably not 'exotic' enough.
 
Awesome, thanks. Definitely checking this out when I'm done classes today!
 
Are these available to watch online?
I'm poor... can't afford cable 😛

I just did my first dissections the other week... an eel and a cichlid... today I shook mites out of a dead bird and I'll be opening up a mouse and a bobcat two weeks from now to look for parasites. At first I was scared I was going to faint or something, but digging around in dead bodies is sooo cool.
 
There is a National Geographic channel????? This sounds so neat but I don't have tv. Does anyone know if they have anything like this on the net posted?????
 
I LOVE that show!!
I was totally watching it last Sunday night, and I saw the giraffe and the fin whale.

I am in comparative anatomy right now, so everything I have been learning this semester was discussed on the show.

Episodes coming up include an elephant and an alligator I think.

The show is only on NatGeo, but I still can't figure out its regular air time.

I thought the fin whale dissection was really interesting. I loved that they showed the vestigial hindlimbs!!

yay for science nerds!!!! 😀


I am planning on doing work with zoo med, and I have participated in wolf, bald eagle, river otter, elk, and alligator necropsies, so seeing this on TV was right up my alley!! 😀
 
They are all available online on youtube (search under name Inside Nature's Giants). I've watched all of them (during breaks, I swear!), and I think the Elephant and Giraffe ones were the best. I also really liked the Whale one, even though it wasn't as in-depth as the others it was still really neat to see how they did everything. The crocodile one was interesting, too.

I'd like to see a Hippo one, or a Hyena. Anything really, as I love documentaries!
 
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as for those without the nat geo channel (but with Internet smarts and minimal qualms about digital download ethics) you can probably find the episodes online. otherwise, they typically release DVD versions of the special programs next season. you can probably also email one of the vets from RVC who are featured and ask them if there is student discount for the program. And if you're in the Los Angeles area, you can watch them at my house for free 🙂

I was also surprised by how graphic the footage is-- at times you feel like you might be in some exotic abattoir rather than a dissecting room. They definitely wouldn't broadcast this is the US if it featured companion animals.
 
ZebraFinch said:
They are all available online on youtube (search under name Inside Nature's Giants). I've watched all of them (during breaks, I swear!), and I think the Elephant and Giraffe ones were the best. I also really liked the Whale one, even though it wasn't as in-depth as the others it was still really neat to see how they did everything. The alligator one was interesting, too.

I'd like to see a Hippo one, or a Hyena. Anything really, as I love documentaries!
Click to expand...

thanks, zebrafinch! I forgot about YouTube...
 
I looked, and I can't find any episodes online. 🙁

Just my luck, too. We just got rid of cable today! Expensive!

eta: I always forget about youtube!
 
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Checked my DVR and don't seem to be any episodes upcoming (at least the next 2 weeks). Hunted on NGC website and they list at least 4 raw anatomy episodes i could find(giraffe, whale, and croc, and elephant) but I didn't see any showings of them on schedule.

If any of you see one listed, please let us know. You can watch 3 minute clips of all for on http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/ . just type "inside the ______" in search window and you should be able to view the clips.
 
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