Oka Dwi Prihatmoko's passion for animals began with birdwatching during college, followed soon after by volunteering in the avian conservation community. He went on to graduate with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia and is now a member of the Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association (IVMA). He is trained in clinical examination and treatment, diagnostics, x-ray technology, surgery and anaesthesia for both small and zoo animals.
His seven years experience as a veterinarian includes work with various conservation NGOs on several islands in Indonesia, carrying out avian influenza monitoring in wild birds, population surveys, nest protection and reintroduction. He also spent three years in a clinic for small and exotic animals, and two years as zoo veterinarian at Bali Safari and Marine Park, where he worked closely with Eclectus parrots, lories and lorikeets, and Yellow-crested, Palm and Moluccan cockatoos. He has also served as Editor-in-Chief of the digital publication Biodivesitas Indonesia, has written popular articles related to wildlife, travel, and adventure and worked as a freelance guide for the Indonesia Ecotourism Network, most recently with Birding Indonesia. In his busy schedule he finds time to assist his wife with her work conserving coral reefs throughout Indonesia.
Oka joins WPT's Indonesia team to track, locate and monitor the well-being of wild and released parrots, ensure the successful rehabilitation of confiscated birds and to develop and manage projects overseen by the WPT in Indonesia.