Exotic Animal Veterinarian Consultant

The County of Bergen will consider Qualification Statements only from firms or organizations that have demonstrated the capability and willingness to provide high quality services in the manner described in this Request for Qualifications.

The veterinarian is responsible for the overall health management of the animal collections at the Bergen County Zoological Park and James McFaul Environmental Center. As such, he/she needs to be familiar with the medical requirements of a wide variety of wildlife species, both native and exotic. To insure that the attending veterinarian has the appropriate body of knowledge to effectively perform the necessary duties, it is required that he/ she have a minimum of five (5) years of experience as the primary veterinarian at an AZA accredited zoological park or aquarium, and that said experience to have taken place within the last ten (10) years.

Routine Prophylaxis

All animals shall receive routine prophylactic examinations to maintain proper health standards throughout the collection.

• Parasitic Control: Routine fecal examinations shall be conducted quarterly on all animals in the collection. Treatment for internal parasites will be determined by the outcome of the examination, or by the recommendation of the veterinarian. Routine wormings will be performed on the domestic hoofed stock twice a year, regardless of results.
• Disease Control: Vaccinations for infectious diseases will take place on an annual basis, or as recommended by veterinarian.
• Nutrition: The veterinarian shall assist the zoo staff in developing and maintaining diets which meet the nutritional, physiological and psychological needs of the animal collection. [...]

Quarantine

All newly acquired specimens shall be quarantined for a period of not less than thirty (30) days. During this period, fecal exams, blood analysis and tests for infectious diseases shall be performed. [...]

Treatments

In the event of illness or injury, the veterinarian shall be contacted so he/she may direct the course of treatment. [...]

Euthanasia

[...] In all cases, the use of euthanasia shall be restricted to the guidelines established by the AVMA Euthanasia Policy.

Necropsy

All specimens, regardless of circumstances, shall receive a post mortem exam to determine the cause of death, as well as the specimen's condition at the time of death. [...]

Veterinarian Responsibilities

The veterinarian will be responsible for the overall health management of the animal collection as outlined above. [...] The veterinarian shall establish the animal health program to monitor and maintain the collection in good health, as well as to address health issues and concerns as they arise. [...]

The veterinarian shall visit the zoo at least once a week for routine examinations of the collection and to review on-going cases. He/she must also be available at all other times in the event of an emergency. [...]

Upon request, the veterinarian shall visit the James McFaul Environmental Center when necessary.

All responses to be submitted online at **bergenbids.com**.

Deadline for submissions: November 10, 2026, 12:00 PM EST.

PLEASE INCLUDE A COPY OF ALL STATE OF NJ ISSUED CURRENT MEDICAL LICENSES WITH SUBMISSION.

Responses will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria set forth in later section(s) of this RFQ, which will be applied in the same manner to each Qualification Statement received. Each Respondent that meets the requirement of the RFQ (in the sole judgement of the County) will be designated as a Qualified Respondent and may be given the opportunity to submit a detailed Proposal in response to subsequent RFQ's issued by the County of Bergen.

The following forms are included with the solicitation: *Letter of Intent* (Appendix A), *Statement of Ownership Disclosure*, *Disclosure of Investment Activities in Iran*, *Vendor Information Form*, and *Vendor Opt In Form*.