Gorilla Doctors LIVE - Science Edition - RECORDING

On June 20, we launched our new virtual event series! In Gorilla Doctors Live - Science Edition, we explore our scientific research and how it helps keep gorillas healthy and in the wild. In the first episode we toured our Michael Cranfield Regional One Health Laboratory at Gorilla Doctors Regional Headquarters in Rwanda.

We also met Dr. Jean Claude Tumushime, our laboratory technician, and Dr. Tierra Smiley Evans, our chief veterinary and scientific officer, as they took us step-by-step through the lab, explaining how our testing capabilities help us diagnose and treat our gorilla patients in the wild as well as advance eastern gorilla health.

WATCH THE RECORDING HERE

DR CONGO

My Special Forest Encounter, Notes from the Field, by Dr. Lina

A couple of weeks ago I was in the forest on my way to conduct a routine health check of Bonane group. This is a family of ten critically endangered Grauer’s gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park. I love visiting this group because it has four infants! READ THE FULL STORY...

Youssoupha, infant Grauer's gorilla in Bonane group, Kahuzi-Biega National Park, DR Congo. © Gorilla Doctors

RWANDA

Day in the Life: Follow Dr. Gaspard in the Field

Reprinted with permission from Synergy Magazine, a publication of the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.



“Every single day that I am out in the forest with the gorillas I realize that when we save gorillas, we are also saving ourselves.” This understanding has guided Dr. Gaspard from his early days with Gorilla Doctors as an intern in 2014. READ THE FULL STORY...

Dr. Gaspard conducts a health check, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. © Will Wilson for Gorilla Doctors

UGANDA

Dr. Benard Presents: Emerging Infectious Disease Research

The week of June 10, Dr. Benard Ssebide, head veterinarian, Uganda and Dr. Tierra Smiley Evans, chief veterinary and scientific officer, spent the week at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases (CREID) Network meeting. Dr. Benard presented to members of the ten global centers on our research in Uganda led by the EpiCenter for Emerging Infectious Disease Intelligence (EEIDI). This project is investigating the initial stages of disease emergence when infection in humans is caused by spillover from wildlife (particularly non-human primates and bats) in forest landscapes. 

Dr. Benard presents at the NIH CREID meeting, June 2024. © Gorilla Doctors

Drs. Benard and Tierra at the NIH CREID meeting in North Carolina, June 2024. © Gorilla Doctors

MORE UPDATES

Dr. Kirsten Receives Distinguished Career Award

Gorilla Doctors Executive Director, Kirsten Gilardi, DVM, was honored with the James H. Meyer Distinguished Achievement Award. The Meyer Award is one of the most prestigious granted by the University of California, Davis, recognizing Dr. Kirsten’s commitment to service and leadership in the pursuit of education and research in wildlife health and conservation. Congratulations, Dr. Kirsten!

Gorilla Doctors Goes to the Beach

On May 18, board member Melinda Goodman Kemp and Robert Kemp hosted a paella party friendraiser in Laguna Beach, California. An intimate gathering of friends and supporters of Gorilla Doctors enjoyed delicious food and delightful conversation against the stunning backdrop of the Pacific ocean at sunset. Many thanks to Melinda and Robert and to everyone who attended! Photos by Baldemar Fierro, Coba Images.

Guests enjoy amazing food and views at Laguna Beach, CA, May 2024. © Baldemar Fierro for Gorilla Doctors

From left: Deborah Dunham, Gorilla Doctors Board Chair; Donna Platt, Gorilla Doctors Chief Development Officer; Amy Bond, Gorilla Doctors Chief Communications Officer; Melinda Goodman Kemp, Gorilla Doctors Board Member; Robert Kemp; Dr. Kirsten Gilardi, Gorilla Doctors Executive Director, Laguna Beach, May 2024. © Baldemar Fierro for Gorilla Doctors

Support Gorilla Doctors by June 30

Our fiscal year ends soon, but there is still time to be counted! Gifts received by June 30th will be included in this fiscal year’s donor rolls. If you’ve made a gift recently, please accept our sincerest thanks for helping us save a species, one gorilla at a time.

Mountain gorilla family, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. © Will Wilson for Gorilla Doctors

Saving a Species, One Gorilla at a Time