
As medetomidine enters the street drug supply, wildlife medicine braces for the next regulatory casualty.

Ajay Sawant is a veterinary intern at Apollo College of Veterinary Medicine. He is also a marine conservationist and science communicator. Ajay serves as the president of ThinkOcean Society, a global non-profit active in over a dozen countries and working towards ocean literacy, restoration projects, and policy advocacy.
A North American Association for Environmental Education 30 Under 30, Ajay has previously written conservation commentaries for Mongabay, Current Conservation, Earth.org and National Geographic Society, among many others. He is a dvm360 student ambassador. Learn more at www.ajaysawant.com.

As medetomidine enters the street drug supply, wildlife medicine braces for the next regulatory casualty.

Learning to care for animals also means learning how and why to choose between them.

Climate-smart pet ownership will be defined either by science and veterinary ethics or by marketing and denial, and the profession must choose now.

February 4th 2026