Pablo Casar Castro

My name is Pablo Casar Castro, I am co-director in ‘Animales Exóticos 24h’ and this is my story and my professional career.

Since I was little, without knowing about it, I was already building my interests on animal care. I was happy in the countryside surrounded by different types of animals, I felt curious for all of them.

This passion for wildlife made me clear, as I grew up, I wanted to become a veterinarian. Finally I started my studies of veterinarian medicine in Madrid.

During my first years at veterinary school I slowly realised this degree targeted primarily cat and dog medicine and paid no attention to those species I was interested on. For this reason I decided to focus all my internships on these kinds of animals.

I did one of these internships with a reptile breeder during my third year, gaining important knowledge about feeding and breeding of all kinds of amphibian and reptile species around the world and I learning how to handle all sizes of snakes correctly.

I attended a reptile and amphibian medicine course in the CRARC (Reptile and Amphibian Rehabilitation Centre of Catalonia) during my fourth year. There, with one of the most experienced veterinary surgeons in Europe, I gained experience in clinical procedures with these interesting species.

I did several other internships in such places, but one of the most unforgettable was learning and working with the veterinarians in Faunia.

Also during my fourth year I started combining my university studies with my work as a veterinary nurse in the CRAS (Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre) in Madrid, place where I continued working as a veterinarian surgeon after being graduated. There I strengthened my devotion for birds and wildlife and was able to carry out very important tasks which involved rescuing birds and other local species. I worked there for four years receiving wounded animals and doing my best to return them to the wild. This rehabilitation centre also served to keep seized exotic animals, primarily racoons and minks, from places such as Customs.

Before getting involved in this business, my own veterinary centre, I also worked in many different exotic specialised clinics. Working on a daily basis with different colleagues is crucial to develop the best working methodology.

Medical sciences require constant learning and being up to date with new techniques. For this reason I like to attend veterinary congresses every year to share knowledge and experiences with professionals from all around the world. I have been able to share my own experiences on several occasions delivering lectures to other colleagues.

I am qualified as Director of diagnostic X-ray facilities and I have attended different abdominal ultrasound courses. X-rays and ultrasonography are two extremely important diagnostic procedures with exotic animals. I also attended a physical therapy course for wild animals and I apply these skills on a daily basis, for example when we need to bandage a bird’s wing.

I am very fond of maintaining and breeding exotic animal species and currently I maintain different types of exotic mammals, birds from the Psittacidae and Fringillidae families, reptiles and amphibians. I try to encourage responsible maintenance of exotic pets and rejection of wildlife capture.

All my hobbies are usually related to nature and outdoors sports, such as ornithology and birdwatching hiking. Is not always possible, but I try to travel as often as I can to get to know new places.