At times, we are reminded of the risk that can be involved in caring for mountain gorillas.  Perhaps none know this better than our colleagues working in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Earlier in April, the threat of armed conflict near Rumangabo, the headquarters for Virunga National Park and the location of the Senkwekwe Center, tested our preparedness to launch  an emergency evacuation of the mountain gorilla orphans. Read Dr. Dawn's blog to learn more.

Gorilla Doctors has expanded its veterinary team, thanks to a recently awarded grant from Partners in Conservation at the Columbus Zoo. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dr. Martin Kabuyaya Balyananziu was hired as a field veterinarian to assist DRC Head Field Veterinarian Dr. Eddy in providing veterinary care to DRC's mountain and Grauer's gorillas and the orphans at Senkwekwe. In Rwanda, Dr. Noel was promoted to the position of Rwanda In-Country Field Veterinarian. Read More

Those of you who have been following the case of the gorilla orphan Ihirwe know how eagerly we've been waiting to confirm her exact subspecies. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany have analyzed her DNA and determined that Ihirwe is a Grauer's, or eastern lowland, gorilla and not a mountain gorilla as first suspected. Her origins remain  

a mystery, but we do know that as a Grauer's gorilla, she deserves to grow up with members of her own subspecies. Plans are underway for her to join the other Grauer's orphans at the GRACE sanctuary in DRC.

Dr. Noel, Ihirwe's dedicated veterinarian, wrote an account detailing Ihirwe's history and his relationship with this special little gorilla. Read his story on the Gorilla Doctors' blog.

This month, our intrepid Uganda Head Field Veterinarian, Dr. Fred, journeyed to the U.S. for the first time to train at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC), a UC Davis-affiliated facility dedicated to improving human and animal health through research. We are very grateful to Jacqueline Gilardi, Dr. Kirsten's mother-in-law, who hosted Dr. Fred at her home.

At the CNPRC, Dr. Fred had the opportunity to learn new veterinary, health monitoring and laboratory techniques, participate in veterinary and pathology rounds, and observe the researchers at work. During his time in California, he also was able to meet with several Gorilla Doctors donors and board members and fit in some sightseeing in San Francisco. Dr. Fred promises to share his experiences and photos in a blog next month. Stay tuned!

Behind every successful nonprofit is a dedicated attorney or law firm lending its knowledge and skills to help the organization comply with tax codes and conduct its business with integrity. Gorilla Doctors is very fortunate to have the help of DLA Piper LLP in Baltimore, MD, which has provided its expert services pro bono since 2005.

DLA Piper first started helping the MGVP in 2005 when MGVP was "graduating" from its founding organization, the Morris Animal Foundation, and applying for its own 501(c)3 status with the IRS. DLA Piper continues to help MGVP, Inc. with maintaining its registration as a non-profit organization in Maryland and several other states. DLA Piper has also helped MGVP submit trademark applications, review contracts, and advise on other legal matters as they arise. In all, the legal team at DLA Piper, especially attorneys Matthew F. Gorra and Ryan Compton and paralegal Patti Morrison, have contributed more than $120,000 worth of their services over the last seven years. We greatly appreciate the tremendous and generous support of DLA Piper, a vital member of the Gorilla Doctors team! 

Ever since the MGVP started working closely with the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center in 2009, we have grappled with how best to describe and name the work of this key partnership, which now essentially directs, supports and guides the everyday operations of our Gorilla Doctors. In the interest of simplifying things for ourselves and our supporters, and to convey the true nature and purpose of this collaboration, we all agreed that we're Gorilla Doctors, a veterinary team powered by the MGVP and UC Davis.

We recently updated our website with new content and lots of new photos and pages. Check it out! 

On March 20, Dr. Nick Lerche, who served many years as a Science Advisor to the Gorilla Doctors, passed away at age 62. He worked as the associate director of the California National Primate Research Center and a professor in the Department of Medicine and Epidemiology at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. His expertise in the areas of primate virology and epidemiology were of immense value to our organization. Thanks to Dr. Nick's advice and guidance, Gorilla Doctors were able to detect and report on the first confirmed case of a human respiratory virus infecting a human-habituated mountain gorilla. Dr. Nick will be very much missed by the Gorilla Doctors family.