Ruth Zavala

Ruth Zavala is an Administrative Assistant for the Houston Zoo Veterinary Department where she works with a staff of veterinarians, licensed veterinary technicians, and clinic keepers. She is responsible for
entering and updating medical records for the institution’s collection, coordinating shipment of samples for conservation studies, organizing internships and rotations for veterinary residents and fourth-year veterinary students, and anything else that may pop up!

Ruth knew from an early age that she would be spending her life working with animals. She completed internships at small animal practices, volunteered at a cattle ranch, and worked closely with animal rescue groups as a foster to gain experience with a variety of species. During her time in university, Ruth took a course in Greece to learn about photo identifying dolphins in the Ambracian Gulf and completed an internship in Florida to practice field research techniques in marine areas inhabited by manatees.
Ruth graduated from Texas A&M University-Galveston in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Biology.

Ruth has been a part of the Houston Zoo since 2019 and is a professional member of the Zoo Registrars Association, the Houston Zoo’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility (DEIA) Committee, the Houston Zoo Safety Council (Recordkeeper), and President of the Veterinary Department’s Sunshine Committee.