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Doctors and Staff The Gorilla Doctors MGVP’s veterinary staff—collectively, the Gorilla Doctors—are a unique, diverse, and interesting group of people. We differ in terms of our nationality, training, and experience, as well as in the territory we cover. The in-country field vets are stationed in their home countries, either Rwanda, Uganda, or the DRC, while the regional vets and project director move about. MGVP’s regional headquarters are located in Ruhengeri (Musanze), Rwanda for two main reasons: most of the world’s habituated mountain gorillas live in Rwanda, and Ruhengeri itself is about halfway between the border with Uganda to the northeast and Congo to the west.
Though a subset of the six field vets will sometimes work together on a mountain gorilla when veterinary intervention is required, this happens only a few times a year. Typically, we are out and about alone or in pairs. We gather monthly for regional veterinary rounds so that we can share case experiences and exchange information. Our diverse experience and training make for a great team, where we can learn a great deal from one another, either at the table during rounds, or during the widely varied field procedures.
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Dr. Mike Cranfield
MGVP Director
MGVP director Dr. Mike Cranfield was one of the first veterinarians to embrace the concept of one-health, or integrated, medical coverage and apply it on behalf of great ape conservation. Mike has led the project since 1999, always on the lookout for ways to build local capacity. MGVP has trained a number of in-country vets, helping several to obtain masters and PhD degrees. Mike has also expanded MGVP programs to include employee and domestic animal health. His greatest challenge these days is raising the funds to sustain all of this important work. A Canadian, Mike currently lives near the Baltimore Zoo in Maryland, where he works as a research veterinarian studying avian malaria in South African penguins. His hobbies include competitive sailboat racing, ice hockey, and squash. |
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Dr. Kirsten Gilardi
Mountain Gorilla One Health Program Director
Kirsten Gilardi joined the organization in early 2009 as Director of the Mountain Gorilla One Health Program at UC Davis. After graduating from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1993, she conducted a 3-year residency in primate medicine before joining the Wildlife Health Center http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/whc, a self-supporting research, service and teaching Center of Excellence at the veterinary school, where she currently serves as Assistant Director. She became one of the first veterinarians certified in wildlife medicine by the American College of Zoological Medicine in 2001. In addition to leading the Mountain Gorilla One Health Program with Mike Cranfield, Kirsten directs the WHC’s SeaDoc Society http://www.seadocsociety.org. She lives in Davis, CA with her husband and two children, where she enjoys swimming, cooking and reading, and getting out of town to sail or surf as often as possible.
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Dr. Jan Ramer
MGVP Regional Veterinary Manager
Dr. Jan Ramer grew up in Indiana with dogs, cats, gerbils and three sisters. Every summer she sailed, paddled, hiked and formed lifelong friendships in the north woods of Wisconsin where her passion for the natural world germinated and developed. After graduating from Purdue University she was an animal keeper for 12 years - first at the Indianapolis Zoo, then in the Primate Department at the Brookfield Zoo. In 1985, while on a trip to study lemurs in Madagascar, she came to Rwanda for the first time. She spent several days at the Karisoke Research Station where she was lucky to meet Dian Fossey, and also encountered Beethoven's Group. She attended veterinary school at the University of Wisconsin, then was a clinician at the Wisconsin Regional Primate Center and taught at the Wisconsin Veterinary School. Most recently Jan was an associate veterinarian at the Indianapolis Zoo. She's had her eye on the MGVP since its inception, and with her children in college it was the perfect time to apply for the position of Regional Veterinary Manager. She began working in this position in August 2009. She is passionate about conservation, animal well being and veterinary medicine. In her spare time she enjoys hiking and camping, reading and spending time with family and friends.
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Dr. Magdalena Lukasik-Braum
MGVP Regional Field Veterinarian
Dr. Magdalena Lukasik-Braum joined MGVP in early December 2007 as our regional field veterinarian. Originally from Warsaw, Poland, where she received her veterinary degree, Magda has been involved in chimpanzee health, ecotourism, and research in East Africa since 1998, working initially for Jane Goodall in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, and then in Mahale National Park. She has also served as head veterinarian for CROW, a busy wildlife rehabilitation clinic located in Durbin, South Africa, her husband Doug’s home city, where their daughter Kasia was born in 2003. Magda’s first month as a gorilla doctor was a busy one, thanks to the many orphans now under our care and a variety of potentially serious cases in the field. With her usual warmth and enthusiasm, she plunged right in, working long hours without complaint, and quickly becoming part of the team.
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Dr. Jean-Felix Kinani
MGVP Rwandan In-Country Field Veterinarian
Dr. Jean-Felix Kinani is MGVP’s Rwandan in-country field veterinarian. Jean Felix received his veterinary degree from Check Anta University in Dakar, Senegal. He joined MGVP in 2004 and especially enjoys fieldwork with the gorillas. He is also interested in domestic animal health, and recently started an annual rabies vaccination program for domestic dogs in the region. Near the Virungas, there have been several recent cases of rabies in jackals and feral dogs; humans too have died of this disease. Jean Felix is the project’s great communicator. His hobbies include playing and watching soccer, or football as it is known here. He and his veterinarian wife have just started a family.
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Jean-Paul Lukusa
MGVP Regional Laboratory Manager
Jean-Paul Lukusa is MGVP’s regional laboratory manager. He received his degree in microbiology from L’Institute Superior Médicale in the Democratic Republic of Congo and then worked as a professor at a medical school in Rwanda before joining MGVP in 2003. Jean Paul lives in Goma, DRC, but commutes regularly to MGVP’s main office in Rwanda. His duties range from running fecal parasite checks and bacterial cultures on mountain gorilla samples to administering the MGVP employee health program. The latter job involves coordinating doctor visits and laboratory samples for hundreds of park rangers, guides, and patrols each year. Jean Paul is MGVP’s most gifted teacher and public speaker. And as we learned when he participated in Julie Ghrist’s Art of Conservation class [www.art-of-conservation.com], he can make even brushing one’s teeth exciting!
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Dr. John Bosco Nizeyi
MGVP Research Veterinarian
Dr. John Bosco Nizeyi is MGVP’s research veterinarian, and a professor in the Wild Animal Resource Management Department of Makerere University in Uganda. JBN (he’s known by his initials) received his veterinary degree at Makerere, his masters of science in recreational resources from Colorado State University, and his PhD in veterinary medicine at Makerere University in 2005. He has worked for MGVP since 1993, when he started as a field vet. His research interests include the use of fecal cortisol testing to monitor stress levels in wild animals. Because JBN lives in Kampala, a long way from mountain gorilla habitat, and his days are full of teaching and guiding students, we don’t see him often. But when we do get together for an all-staff meeting in Kisoro, Uganda, everyone looks to JBN for his historical knowledge and experience.
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Dr. Benard Ssebide
MGVP Uganda In-Country Field Veterinarian
Dr. Benard Ssebide is MGVP’s Ugandan in-country field veterinarian, and the team’s newest staff member. Benard (yes, this is the correct spelling) received his veterinary degree and masters of Science in wildlife health and management from Makerere University in Uganda. For six years, he worked for the Ugandan Wildlife Authority as veterinarian and chief park warden, based in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. During that time, he became a collaborator and friend of MGVP. He joined the project early in 2007 to concentrate on field vet work rather than administration. Benard has a keen interest in wildlife diseases and will begin work on his PhD soon. With a home in Kampala and his patients spread out among dense jungle, Benard travels more miles over rough terrain than the rest of MGVP staff combined.
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Dr. Jacques Iyanya
MGVP DRC In-Country Field Veterinarian
Dr. Jacques Iyanya is one of MGVP’s two in-country field veterinarians based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He received his veterinary degree from the University of Lubumbashi in the DRC, then worked for the Department of Agriculture and Development in the eastern part of the country before joining MGVP in 2004. His duties include monitoring mountain gorillas on the DRC side of the Virungas and Grauer’s gorillas in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park. He and his colleague, Dr. Eddy Kambale, also take care of the two newest infant mountain gorillas in Goma, DRC. Jacques speaks perfect French, is exceptionally well connected and diplomatic, and understands DRC’s complicated political system. As a result, he often accepts the role of MGVP political advisor. He is rapidly learning English, and will soon be correcting me in my native language as well as in French!
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Dr. Eddy Kambale
MGVP DRC In-Country Field Veterinarian
Dr. Eddy Kambale is the other MGVP in-country field veterinarian based in the DRC. Eddy received his veterinary degree at the Catholic University of Graben, Butembo, in the DRC. Before joining the MGVP in 2004, he was a scholar at the Technical Institute for Agriculture and Veterinary Science in Butembo, DRC. In cooperation with Dr. Jacques Iyanya, Eddy’s duties include monitoring Grauer’s gorillas as well as mountain gorillas—and caring for the orphans. He enjoys every aspect of clinical medicine, including pathology, or the study of disease after an animal has died. Eddy performed field necropsies on the gorillas shot in the DRC last July, hoping to learn something from this tragedy. Among MGVP staff, Eddy has a wry sense of humor and can make people laugh in any number of languages. At work, however, he’s seriously quiet.
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Jean Bosco Noheli
MGVP Laboratory Technician
Jean Bosco Noheli (Noel) is the newest Rwandese veterinarian on the team. He was in the first graduating class of veterinarians at the Higher Institute of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry ISAE- Rwanda. He joined MGVP in November 2009 as Laboratory Technician. He is especially interested in laboratory procedures and wildlife medicine, particularly primates and birds. Noel loves to play handball and enjoys watching professional sports teams. Noel is a person who has a deep respect for all human beings. He is happily married, and his wife is an Agricultural Engineer.
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Schadrack Niyonzima
MGVP Administrative Assistant
Schadrack Niyonzima is Rwandan by nationality, born in DRC where his father was a missionary. He has lived in several Central and East African countries. He received his degree in Management and Accounting from Adventist University for Central Africa (UAAC), and has 5 years of experience working with International NGOs. He joined MGVP in September 2009 as an Administrative Assistant. He is very interested in business, and in helping people in developing countries by teaching them new ways of doing business. He loves to play volleyball and swim. Schadrack's wife runs her own business and they have three beautiful small children.
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John Huston
Agriculture Project Coordinator - MGVP One Health Program
John Huston first came to Rwanda at the invitation of Dr. Mike Cranfield in 2006 to investigate agricultural practices proximal to the Virunga Massif. John returned to Rwanda in 2007 for a continuation of that project, and then moved to Rwanda full time in 2008. John is “the cow guy” of MGVP and leads the livestock portion of the ecosystem health approach. His background in livestock production management, managing a field research station and a research focus on livestock/wildlife disease interaction make him a perfect fit with MGVP. He is a lecturer at the local agricultural college, ISAE-Busogo and utilizes some of the brightest students to assist on a variety of research and community development projects. He also is working with local farm families to create model farms that utilize sustainable, eco-friendly animal husbandry practices, incorporate rainwater catchment systems and alternative fuel sources such as bio-gas and bio-briquettes.
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Athena Buchanan
Director of Online Fundraising
Athena brings two decades of successful multi-channel marketing and revenue generation programs for non-profit organizations and cutting edge start-up companies. Prior to joining MGVP she worked for The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International where she launched their online marketing channel and contributed 47% of new business. Previously to that she founded DotOrg Marketing in 2001, as a pioneer of online marketing and fundraising solutions for the non-profit sector with a focus on animal-centric clients. Athena’s award winning online marketing programs consistently outperformed industry benchmarks in terms of increased revenue and response rates.
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MGVP’s support staff includes long-time employee, Leon Ntahobavukira, the house manager.
Felicien Mulinda, Faustin Nemeye, and Samuel Nshimiyimana work as guards/grounds staff at the headquarters in Ruhengeri. Jean-Claude Rusengamihigo, Michel Mwemezi, and Innocent Barimenshi perform a similar function at the interim quarantine facility (IQF) for orphaned gorillas in Kinigi, Rwanda.
Gorilla Doctors provide veterinary care and oversee general care of the two mountain gorillas Maisha and Kaboko, and the six Grauer’s gorillas Serufuli, Pinga, Itebero, Ntabwoba, Dunia, and Tumaini who live in the Interim Quarantine Facility for Orphan Gorillas located in Kinigi, Rwanda. MGVP employs six of the seven caretakers who work there as well. The care-takers includes Amiel Bapfakwita, Dieu Donne Muyambabazi, Jean Baptise Bisenigamana, Innocent Kabendera, Jean DeDieux, and Fabian Bahati.
In Rumangabo, DR Congo, MGVP Gorilla Doctor Eddy Syaluha oversees the veterinary care of the orphan gorillas Ndeze and Ndakasi, working closely with ICCN caretakers. Andre Bauma, who has been with Ndeze and Ndakasi since they were rescued, leads the team which includes Patrick Karabaranga, Richard Kambale, and Alfred Ngendahimana.
In Goma, DR Congo, MGVP veterinarian Dr. Jacques Iyana oversees the veterinary care of the three Grauer’s Gorillas that live at the DFGFI facility there. Caretakers for Mapendo, Amani and Kighoma include ICCN staff Jean Babo, Frederic Ndibwami, and Jean-Paul Baryanagamba.
MGVP US support staff includes Nina Storch, Project Manager and Jennifer Sohl, Bio-bank Manager and Vet Technician at the Baltimore Zoo. UC Davis Wildlife Health Center, the Mountain Gorilla One Health Program is supported by assistants Kathy Collins, Lavonne Hull, Alison Kent, and Amanda Mahler. The WHC is led by Directors Dr. Jonna Mazet and Dr. Walter Boyce.
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