Students completing postgraduate courses in Captive Vertebrate Management at Charles Sturt University (CSU) visited the Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo last week to work closely with the Zoo’s habitants. The students, travelling from as far away as  Darwin, Perth and California, spent the week working closely with Dubbo Zoo veterinarian Dr Tim Portas. The courses developed in co-operation with Western Plains Zoo were the first in Australia to offer specialisation in captive vertebrate management. Students are provided with the knowledge and skills to manage zoos and wildlife parks based on a thorough understanding of animal behaviour, the requirements of captive reptiles or birds, preventative medicine, reproduction biology and zoo and exhibit design principles. Dr Portas showed students an ultrasound image of eggs in the reproductive tract of one of the Galapagos tortoise females.  Last year the turtles laid but all the eggs were infertile. Dr Portas is more confident that the new eggs will be fertile because of a positive reproductive examination of the males.