--- title: Taking care of endangered species at Nordens Ark description: Veterinarian Sophie Asp Laursen shares her experiences at Nordens Ark, a zoo with a strong vision of conservation of endangered species. image: https://dan-inject.com/hubfs/Nordens%20Ark2-small.jpg --- - [Explore](https://dan-inject.com/explore) - [Products](https://dan-inject.com/products) - [All products](https://dan-inject.com/products) - [Injection rifles](https://dan-inject.com/products/tranquilizing-rifles) - [VHF TrackDart](https://dan-inject.com/products/vhf-tracking-dart) - [AirCharge - PCP solution](https://dan-inject.com/products/aircharge) - [CETA-DART](https://dan-inject.com/cetadart-biopsy-dart-for-marine-mammals) - User Instructions - [Chip Dart preparation](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-chip-dart) - [VHF TrackDart preparation](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-vhf-transmitter) - [AirCharge instructions](https://dan-inject.com/pcp-pump-user-instructions) - [Small animal handling rug](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-small-animal-handling-rug) - [Jabstick user instruction](https://dan-inject.com/user-intructions-jabstick-user-instruction) - [Dart loading - air pressure](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-dart-loading-air-pressure) - [Dart maintenance](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-dart-maintenance) - [Recommended needle sizes](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-recommended-needle-sizes) - [Cleaning the needles](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-cleaning-the-needles) - [Biopsy needle instruction](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-biopsy-needle-instruction) - [Loading of dart syringes](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-loading-of-dart-syringes) - [Unloading of dart syringes](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-unloading-of-dart-syringes) - [Cleaning the syringes](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-cleaning-the-syringes) - Distributors - [Find a distributor](https://dan-inject.com/distributors) - [Become a distributor](https://dan-inject.com/become-a-daninject-distributor) - [About us](https://dan-inject.com/about) - [Contact](https://dan-inject.com/contact) - [Webshop](https://shop.daninject.com/) [![Daninject\_logo-1-1](https://dan-inject.com/hs-fs/hubfs/avidly/assets/images/Daninject_logo-1-1.png?width=100&height=99&name=Daninject_logo-1-1.png "Daninject_logo-1-1")](https://dan-inject.com) - [Explore](https://dan-inject.com/explore) - [Products](https://dan-inject.com/products) - [All products](https://dan-inject.com/products) - [Injection rifles](https://dan-inject.com/products/tranquilizing-rifles) - [VHF TrackDart](https://dan-inject.com/products/vhf-tracking-dart) - [AirCharge - PCP solution](https://dan-inject.com/products/aircharge) - [CETA-DART](https://dan-inject.com/cetadart-biopsy-dart-for-marine-mammals) - User Instructions - [Chip Dart preparation](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-chip-dart) - [VHF TrackDart preparation](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-vhf-transmitter) - [AirCharge instructions](https://dan-inject.com/pcp-pump-user-instructions) - [Small animal handling rug](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-small-animal-handling-rug) - [Jabstick user instruction](https://dan-inject.com/user-intructions-jabstick-user-instruction) - [Dart loading - air pressure](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-dart-loading-air-pressure) - [Dart maintenance](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-dart-maintenance) - [Recommended needle sizes](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-recommended-needle-sizes) - [Cleaning the needles](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-cleaning-the-needles) - [Biopsy needle instruction](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-biopsy-needle-instruction) - [Loading of dart syringes](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-loading-of-dart-syringes) - [Unloading of dart syringes](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-unloading-of-dart-syringes) - [Cleaning the syringes](https://dan-inject.com/user-instructions-cleaning-the-syringes) - Distributors - [Find a distributor](https://dan-inject.com/distributors) - [Become a distributor](https://dan-inject.com/become-a-daninject-distributor) - [About us](https://dan-inject.com/about) - [Contact](https://dan-inject.com/contact) - [Webshop](https://shop.daninject.com/) ![](https://dan-inject.com/hubfs/Nordens%20Ark2-small.jpg) Explore ## Taking care of endangered species at Nordens Ark DANiNJECT user story: Meet Sophie Asp Laursen, a Danish veterinarian working in Sweden with endangered species at Nordens Ark.  Written by [DANiNJECT](https://dan-inject.com/explore/author/daninject) [Featured](https://dan-inject.com/explore/tag/featured) [Explore](https://dan-inject.com/explore/tag/explore) "It's a very unique place," says Sophie Asp Laursen about Nordens Ark, where she has been deputizing as a vet for just over a year. "Nordens Ark is built on a strong vision of conservation, and I don't know of anywhere else with such a clear focus on vulnerable and endangered species. We do conservation work both here and in the wield, and we reintroduce a lot of animals that were bred here and then released in national parks around the world," she says. ![NordensArk3](https://dan-inject.com/hs-fs/hubfs/NordensArk3.jpg?width=1536&height=1278&name=NordensArk3.jpg) #### European bison is a favorite The collection of animals includes endangered felines like snow leopard and Persian leopard, along with dhole, urial, Przewalski wild horse, Pallas cat and a number of endangered and unique bird and amphibian species. The primary focus is on cold climate species.   "I enjoy working with our big animals, especially our European bison. But I also think the wolverine is a really cool animal, and the maned wolf is just such a fascinating, almost fantasy-like creature," says Sophie Asp Laursen. As a veterinarian at Nordens Ark, she is in the peculiar position of hoping that her help will not be needed. 'We, of course, don't want the animals to get sick or injured and need veterinary care. That's why we do a lot of preventive treatments and health checks. About once a week, we have immobilizations of one of our bigger animals. We prefer to sedate by hand, but not all animals can be approached easily, so we use DANiNJECT equipment for them,' says Sophie Asp Laursen. ![\_NordensArk5](https://dan-inject.com/hs-fs/hubfs/_NordensArk5.jpeg?width=720&height=383&name=_NordensArk5.jpeg) #### Planning and preparing immobilizations She uses the blowpipe herself for some animals but doesn't yet have a hunting licence, which is mandatory in Sweden in order to use the injection rifle. "So instead, our vet nurse and I plan the procedure and prepare the darts, and then a zookeeper and a trained shooter immobilize the animal. For example, when we have to move one of our bachelor urials to the breeding group," she explains. Sophie Asp Laursen has recently completed an immobilization course and is in the process of getting her hunting licence so that she can tranquillize the animals herself in the future. This discipline was particularly needed at Nordens Ark this autumn. ![NordensArk - buffalo (1)](https://dan-inject.com/hs-fs/hubfs/NordensArk%20-%20buffalo%20(1).jpg?width=1500&height=931&name=NordensArk%20-%20buffalo%20(1).jpg) #### Bluetongue disease at the doorstep "The first case of bluetongue disease in Sweden was found just 30 kilometres from here, so we chose to vaccinate our hoofed animals as we have many with a high breeding value. Most of the domestic animals were vaccinated by hand, but we had around 20 that were vaccinated with either blowpipe or injection rifle. All in just a couple of days, so that was a pretty busy period," says Sophie Asp Laursen, who will soon be heading for new adventures. From March, she will be moving to Scandinavia's largest zoo, Kolmården Wildlife Park, south of Stockholm. ![NordensArk - tiger (1)](https://dan-inject.com/hs-fs/hubfs/NordensArk%20-%20tiger%20(1).jpg?width=1000&height=1162&name=NordensArk%20-%20tiger%20(1).jpg) *Photo credit: Nordens Ark* ## Latest post [See all posts](https://dan-inject.com/explore) #### [![](https://dan-inject.com/hubfs/cetadart%20product2.jpg) 24-09-2026 DANiNJECT acquires CETA-DART to continue manufacturing of marine biopsy darts DANiNJECT has acquired CETA-DART and will continue to manufacture and further develop the well-known biopsy darts for marine mammals.](https://dan-inject.com/explore/daninject-acquires-ceta-dart-to-continue-production-of-marine-biopsy-darts) #### [![](https://dan-inject.com/hubfs/pexels-solce-34761097%20(1).jpeg) 21-09-2026 Protecting the Symbol of the Alps: Fighting Brucellosis in Alpine Ibex To monitor and control the spread of brucellosis among Alpine ibex, the French Biodiversity Agency captures and tests around 150 animals each year in two massifs. 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