Wildlife veterinarian Martine van Zijll Langhout, DVM, MSc (WAH), Dipl. ECZM (zoo health management), will translate survival and teamwork tactics from the African bush into actionable mental strength and leadership tools for the veterinary clinic when she delivers the keynote address on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) 72nd Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

During her presentation, “Let’s Go Wild! Wildlife as Inspiration for a Happy Life,” van Zijll Langhout will share her unique perspective on thriving amidst challenges based on her observations of collaboration among wild animals to manage high-pressure situations as well as her own experiences needing to trust her team, remain mentally and physically fit, and even run for her life on several occasions. Through her fieldwork, she discovered how profoundly nature can teach us about being human—and about developing resilience, adaptability, and mental strength. 

After a career as a mixed-animal veterinarian, including equine medicine, van Zijll Langhout specialized in wildlife medicine in 2005. Since then, she has worked as a wildlife vet under free-roaming conditions with most African wildlife species, including gorillas, lions, elephants, giraffes, buffalo and rhinos. 

Van Zijll Langhout is head of the veterinary department at ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo, in the Netherlands, as well as a professional coach, public speaker, and wilderness trails leader in Botswana. Her book, Lessons from the Wild: A Wildlife Vet’s Journey into the African Wilderness–Rediscovering What Nature Teaches Us, is a bestseller in the Netherlands and will be published in English this year.