Call of the wild: a versatile veterinarian relishes his unusual assignment of treating exotic zoo animals.

It's not all monkey business for Rodney Walker. The Jackson Zoo veterinarian also has a list of patients that also includes elephants, giraffes, and zebras.

Of course, that's just on Tuesdays and Thursdays--during the rest of the week, Walker is busy tending to his solo practice, Huntcliff Veterinary Clinic in Clinton.

A native of Jackson, Walker grew up being exposed to the work of veterinarians who frequently visited his family's farm to check on the horses and cattle. So it was only natural that he would become interested in taking up the profession himself one day. "There were several vets who influenced me when I was younger," remembers Walker. In fact, one of these early relationships led to a student job in a large animal practitioner's office.

After graduating from Mississippi State University, Walker went on to receive his doctorate in veterinary medicine from Auburn University in 1979. He returned to Mississippi and briefly worked at a Jackson animal clinic before deciding to open his own practice.

Walker's work took on an entirely new direction 17 years ago when the Jackson Zoo put out a call for a new part-time veterinarian.

"It sounded like an exciting opportunity, so I replied," recalls Walker. The job was soon his, and he went from spending all of his days caring for family pets to working with far more exotic patients as well.

During a typical week, Walker visits the zoo on two busy mornings. Thanks to full-time technician Donna Todd, Walker is able to bypass much of the ordering and organizing that is essential in a vet's office and concentrate on the animals. His duties include performing regular physical exams on the zoo animals and doing lab work such as tuberculosis testing on the primates. Zookeepers report to Todd about individual animals' problems, allowing Walker to focus on treating those who need his care most.