Hi! I’m Atilia, a detective who investigates animal diseases instead of crimes.
In Malaysia, where I’m from, we don’t have cool and adorable animals like koalas and wombats, but I wanted to learn more about the animals that live only in Australia!
When I was younger, I had so many ideas of what I wanted to do for work. I wanted to do something with science, and yet my biggest dream was to become a detective… Was there a way I could do both? Over time, I discovered my passion for animal health, and now I get to work with wildlife, detecting things that make them sick, making me a detective AND scientist!
Just like people, animals can get sick from bacteria, viruses, or parasites. When we feel unwell, we go to the doctor. The doctor might look in our mouth or take a little bit of our blood to figure out what’s wrong. That way, they can give us the right treatment. But for animals, it’s much harder. They can’t tell us, and sometimes vets don’t know what’s wrong until it’s too late. The poor animal stays sick for a long time. Some diseases even look the same on the outside. For example, if we see a possum wobbling down the road, we might think, “Oh no! Poor thing got hit by a car!” But a virus can make the possum wobble, too. Without the right test, we can’t know for sure, and that means the animal might not get the treatment it needs. Well, that’s why I’m here! I want to help our furry friends get the right help fast.
Now, I’m working on a special tool, kind of like a first aid kit, but for animals. I just need a tiny bit of saliva or a drop of blood from the animal. Then, I mix it into a special liquid and in just a few minutes it tells me if the animal is sick or healthy.
If they’re unwell, we can tell the vets quickly, and they can give the right medicine immediately. That way, our beautiful animals can go back to climbing trees, hopping around, and being happy in the wild, because they deserve as much care as we do.
