I recently returned from visiting with our teams in Rwanda, Uganda, and DR Congo. If you missed my updates, you can read them [HERE (January 28) and HERE (February 20)].

At Gorilla Doctors, our mission is to conserve wild eastern gorillas through life-saving veterinary medicine and science using a One Health approach—recognizing that the health of gorillas, people, and our shared environment are interconnected. For decades we have worked to ensure every aspect of our work reflects and champions this connection. During my visit, I witnessed firsthand the remarkable impact of this approach in action.

Our Michael Cranfield Regional One Health Laboratory, which took five years to develop with the generosity and expertise of many, now stands as a world-class diagnostics center for great ape medicine and wildlife health across the region. Through this facility and our field work, we are advancing several critical projects:

1. Rapid Diagnostics: Identifying the cause of illness in gorillas within 24 hours, allowing us to customize treatments and understand population-level health threats.
2. Microbiome Research: Pioneering studies of Grauer’s gorilla microbiomes to gain insights that could have implications for both gorilla and human health.
3. *Census Support: Leading pathogen screening and genetic analysis for the upcoming mountain gorilla census across the Bwindi-Mgahinga-Sarambwe protected areas, which will help assess population changes since the last report in 2019.
4. Disease Detection: Strengthening our ability to detect and respond to emerging infectious diseases through major research awards from the World Bank Pandemic Fund, National Science Foundation, and National Institutes of Health.
5. Zika Research: Examining new and previously collected non-human primate samples, including from gorillas, for Zika virus presence as part of a Wellcome Trust-funded project led by the Uganda Virus Research Institute.

For me, these collaborative, international efforts highlight the critical importance of studying emerging infectious diseases at their point of origin. By monitoring gorilla health in biodiversity hotspots, we gain early warning signs of potential pathogens before they arrive at our doorstep, metaphorically and literally.

After 16 years with Gorilla Doctors, I remain inspired by our team’s ability to turn challenges into innovative solutions. Together, we continue to advance a future of One Health for all.

With gratitude for your support, Dr. Kirsten Gilardi, Executive Director

*The 2025 census is led by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) in collaboration with the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (GVTC), International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), the Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation (Mbarara University), Gorilla Doctors and many others.

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