A falcon doctor? And yet, it is an existing profession which is a separate field in Veterinary Medicine. To follow it you need specialized knowledge, many years of studies and of course a lot of love for this subject. There are a few dozen people around the world who practice it, but that's for Dr. Panagiotis Azmanis never stood in the way of making his dreams come true.
With his curiosity about wild birds as a compass, he turned this love into a creative way of making a living and at the same time constantly evolving in his professional field. Since 2015, he has been working as an exclusive falcon and wildlife veterinarian at the Royal Falcon Hospital in Dubai (Dubai Falcon Hospital), owned by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and is the only Greek citizen working in this specialty in the entire Middle East. Dubai Falcon Hospital is also the world's first falcon hospital, founded in 1983 and has contributed largely in falcon/avian medicine.
Hellenic Daily News met him online and recorded the difficulties of this unique profession, as well as what life is like in Dubai for a Greek. At the same time, we discussed the UNESCO-recognized art of falconry which, according to the latest studies, has its roots in Ancient Greece, as well as how to gain the trust of a wild animal and make it a hunter...
Panayiotis (Panos) Azmanis DVM, Dr.med.vet, Dip ECZM (avian)
Dubai Falcon Hospital/ Wadi al Safa WIldlife Center
Al Saada Str, Zaabeel
Dubai, UAE
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Panayiotis (Panos) serves since 2015, as a raptor/avian and wildlife vet in Dubai Falcon Hospital & Wadi Al Safa Wildlife Center, Dubai, UAE. He graduated in 2006 from the Veterinary Faculty of Aristotle´s University in Thessaloniki. During his studies was actively involved in vulture/avian conservation projects in Greece as field ornithologist and rescuer/rehabilitator. After graduation followed a rotating internship in Small Animal Surgery/Exotics in the same University, while parallel working as freelance avian/exotic vet. He gained his doctoral thesis on surgical methods for avian stifle luxation from the Clinic for Exotic Pets, Zoo Animals and Wildlife, UZH, Vetsuisse Faculty. Furthermore, he practiced small animal/exotic medicine in private practice in Athens/Greece before moving in the Clinic for Birds & Reptiles, University of Leipzig, Germany for a 3- year residency.
After successful examination in 2014, he was the first Greek to be awarded as Diplomate ECZM (Avian) /European Specialist in Avian Medicine. He is member of the ECZM Examination Committee, the AAV Wildlife Conservation Committee, the IUCN Wildlife Health Specialist Group, Vulture Specialist Group and Pelican Specialist Group, the Scientific Committee of the Hellenic Ornithological Society, the Board of the Hellenic Falconry Association while is consulting voluntarily different Greek rehab centers and wildlife NGOS. He also serves as unpaid vet for the only Sea turtle rehab center (Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project) based in the luxurious Burj al Arab Hotel.
Additionally, he is frequent speaker in American and European Avian/Exotic Conferences and has published on avian medicine, exotic animal medicine and wildlife diseases. His current clinical focus are infectious diseases, ophthalmology and cardiology in falconry birds as well as diseases of wildlife.
