New Program Protects Mountain Gorillas' Health

The University of California, Davis and the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project have together launched an ambitious and comprehensive program to protect mountain gorillas (Gorilla geringei beringei). The program, called 'One Health', aims to protect the remaining 740 mountain gorillas that inhabit the Virunga Mountains, a crest of mountains that straddles the borders of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa.

The One Health program will bring together wildlife veterinarians from UC Davis and experts from the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project, a project started in 1986 at the request of the late primatologist Dian Fossey. The two organizations will work together to improve not only the health of mountain gorillas, but also the health of nearby human and livestock populations.

"The collaboration with UC Davis will help improve the health and welfare of the humans and animals living around the gorillas. This in turn acts as a buffer to help prevent disease—the gorillas' leading cause of death—from entering the park and affecting gorilla families." ~Mike Cranfield, UC Davis.

Apart from four young orphans soon to be released into the wild, no mountain gorillas live in captivity. So protecting the wild population from disease is of critical importance. Fortunately, the One Health program has a good head start. During the past decade, conservation efforts have helped to increase mountain gorilla numbers by 17 percent. Anti-poaching measures, habitat protection, and medical programs have all contributed to this success.

Find out more: UC Davis Launches 'One Health' Care For Wild Mountain Gorillas and Human Neighbors (Eurekalert)

Photo © UC Davis Wildlife Health Center.