Doctors Treat Silverback with Severe Ear Infection
On November 18, Dr. Jan and Volcanoes National Park Veterinary Warden Elisabeth Nyirakaragire went to assess Kigoma, the third silverback in Kwitonda group, who had been reported to be suffering from an ear infection. They found the silverback behaving normally and eating well, but suffering a terrible ear infection with white discharge running from his left ear. Dr. Jan decided that while the infection did not look life threatening, the severity and proximity of the infection to his brain meant that Gorilla Doctors needed to intervene with antibiotics as a first attempt, and full intervention if antibiotics failed to help. Read More
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The MGVP Story: 25 Years in the Making
This year, MGVP is celebrating its 25th anniversary and we'd like to share a little bit of our history with you. The MGVP began from the vision of American gorilla researcher Dian Fossey. Fossey dedicated her life to studying and protecting mountain gorillas in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, and by the mid-1980s, research indicated that the mountain gorilla population was rapidly decreasing, with fewer than 300 known mountain gorillas remaining in the world. Gorillas were being killed outright by poachers, suffering from life-threatening injuries caused by snares, and succumbing to illnesses Fossey suspected were being transmitted by humans. At that time, there was no health program in place to treat sick and injured gorillas. Read More
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Empowering African Veterinarians
The MGVP aims to employ outstanding African veterinarians and mentor the next generation of wildlife health experts. To do so, we sponsor educational programs at African schools and universities and continuing education for our staff members. By investing in training we are ultimately envisioning the time when in-country veterinarians will be the primary providers of mountain gorilla veterinary care. Read the Gorilla Doctors blog to learn about these efforts.
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Do You Have the Gorilla Doctors Calendar?
Our 2011 annual report, in the form of a 2012 calendar, was sent to donors last week. Please keep your eyes out for it. Not a donor yet? Make a contribution of $25 or more before December 31, and we'll send you a hard copy. You can also go to our website to download a free version. Back to Top |
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Your Donation Today Goes Twice as Far
During this special 25th anniversary, our good friends Cleve and Patsy Moler of New Mexico, USA, have generously agreed to match, dollar-for-dollar, your donation. As the holiday season approaches, please consider making a gift to the Gorilla Doctors. Donations over $25 will also receive a 2012 Calendar, and donations of any size make an impact. Thank you for being a part of the MGVP's success!
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Meet New Board Member Peter Riger
We are thrilled to introduce another new member of our Advisory Board, Peter Riger, who joined in September. Peter serves as the Director of Conservation at the Houston Zoo. Though he finds interest in many mammal species, he is actually a big fan of rodents and bats. When asked about his experience with mountain gorillas, Peter said:
"In the mountain gorilla we have a social species that wants little more than to protect and support their family members in their day-to-day routine of moving up and down their habitat in search of food. It should be considered a privilege that they allow us to sit among them, if even for only a short time. The idea that people will trek half way around the world simply to sit quietly next to a family of mountain gorilla attests to the attachment we have to experience and protect wildlife.
The Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project is a one-of-a-kind wildlife conservation initiative. The idea of field veterinarians trekking miles every day up mountains and rough terrain to check on their patients is an amazing story of not only perseverance for an organization but dedication among the individuals who are employed by MGVP. The mountain gorilla population is still in a precarious situation where a disease outbreak, political instability or economic pressures on the habitat can quickly undue successes of the past. This is why we need to continue to promote and support this effort in order to develop long-term management strategies that will protect this species, and the people who live around the National Parks, far into the future."
Welcome aboard, Peter!
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