Mike Burton, Sculptor

I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine in 1979. Most of my veterinary career was spent working with exotic animals. I worked as a veterinarian for zoos in the United States, Taiwan and New Zealand. In 1997 I became a veterinarian for Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida where I worked until retiring in 2019. During my time at Busch Gardens I had the opportunity to travel to South Africa and Zimbabwe to work with veterinarians who provide services for Wildlife Conservation organizations in those countries. While at Busch Gardens I was one of the veterinarians featured on an Emmy nominated television show, The Wildlife Docs. The show highlighted the care given by a team of wildlife veterinarians and also visited conservation organizations around the world.

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I began sculpting as a hobby in the 1980's. Working with hundreds of species of animals and a knowledge of anatomy provides the inspiration for my work. The passion I bring to each sculpture stems from my extensive experience caring for animals. My hope is that my work might inspire others to love, respect and conserve the wildlife that share our world.

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