Our Team

Dr. Zonenshine graduated summa cum laude from Cornell University with dual degrees in Biology and Animal Science and an honors research thesis, then earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell. She completed a rotating small-animal internship at Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital, advanced surgical training in minimally invasive surgery and orthopedics at Guardian Veterinary Specialists, and interventional-radiology research training at the Animal Medical Center. She later earned a Master of Public Health from the University of Minnesota and an Executive Master of Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Her EMPA strengthened her expertise in governance, organizational leadership, public policy, sustainability, and the cross-sector partnerships required to move conservation from vision to measurable impact.

She completed a One Health wildlife internship with the Wildlife Conservation Society, served as a veterinarian for Turtle Back Zoo, and completed her residency in Avian Medicine and Surgery at the Veterinary Center for Birds and Exotics in July 2026. She is also a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist through the Chi Institute and brings extensive experience in exotic-animal medicine, surgery, preventive care, and conservation medicine.

As founder of The Gabby Wild Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to endangered species, Dr. Zonenshine has led conservation, education, and community-engagement initiatives across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Her fieldwork has included chimpanzee conservation in Uganda; Sumatran elephants and tigers in Indonesia; and critically endangered Bornean rhinos, including service as an Explorers Club expedition leader and flag carrier. Her work consistently pairs species protection with local education, capacity-building, and respect for the communities that share wildlife landscapes.

The Gabby Wild Foundation is an institutional Member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), connecting its programs to a global network of governments, scientists, conservation organizations, and subject-matter experts. Dr. Zonenshine also leads United Fashion, an international conservation and sustainability campaign registered on the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs SDG Partnerships platform. Through this initiative, she works with designers, United Nations ambassadorial teams, implementation partners, and community leaders to advance biodiversity, women’s well-being, sustainable livelihoods, education, and other UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr. Zonenshine is a published avian-medicine researcher, an Association of Avian Veterinarians conference speaker, and a three-time National Geographic author. Across clinical practice, field conservation, writing, and on-camera education, she translates complex science into compelling stories that inspire audiences to understand animals more deeply and participate in protecting the natural world.