Luz Daniela Caballero Encinales, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Daniela knew she wanted to become a veterinarian before she even knew how to write. Her love for animals has never been in doubt, and using science to help them became her life’s purpose. She studied Veterinary Medicine at the National University of Colombia. During veterinary school, she volunteered and completed an internship at URRAS – Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Unit, where she had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of South American wildlife, including monkeys, parrots, opossums, and turtles, many of them victims of wildlife trafficking. She completed several externships in the United States at sanctuaries, zoos, and wildlife rehabilitation centers, where she expanded her knowledge of wildlife medicine and conservation. After graduating, she spent time at the Rescue Center Costa Rica, where she worked primarily in the baby hospital, contributing to the hand-rearing of sloths, toucans, squirrels, to name a few, as neonatology is one of her greatest passions. Afterward, she returned to Colombia to work at an aquarium on the Caribbean coast, where she was responsible for the care of all species in the collection, including fish, invertebrates, reptiles, and birds. During this experience, she reaffirmed her love for the ocean. She then had the incredible opportunity to move to the Maldives to work with sea turtles (a dream come true) at the Atoll Marine Conservation Centre. In addition to her conservation work, she also provided veterinary care for local pets and managed a TNR program on the island. Throughout all these experiences, Daniela has worked closely with students and volunteers, and mentoring and teaching have become some of her greatest passions. She believes her love for veterinary medicine is contagious and is excited about making a positive impact on the next generation of veterinarians through her work with Loop Abroad. Outside of veterinary medicine, Daniela loves traveling and exploring new places and cultures, something that has shaped both her personal and professional life. She enjoys every opportunity to learn through new experiences. She especially loves ocean related activities like snorkeling or scuba diving. She loves to dance and do origami.Although she now considers herself more of a cat person, her dogs, Naomi and Bianca, were among her greatest inspirations during veterinary school. Daniela’s favorite animal is the raccoon, although her favorite patients are birds of prey.