Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project

There are approximately 740 Mountain Gorillas left on earth; they live only in two small parks, one in Uganda and one that includes a corner of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In order to ensure a healthy future for this special animal, the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project monitor the gorillas on a regular basis, provides life-saving medical care if needed, conduct health studies, and do all they can to build local capacity in veterinary medicine and ecosystem health.

Mountain gorillas are found only in Central Africa and only in two regions: The Virunga Massif mountain range which includes the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda (Parc National des Volcans), the Virunga National Park in the DRC (Parc National de Virunga) and the Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. and the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda.

Mountain Gorillas and Human Health 

The founding mission of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP) is to help mountain gorillas survive by providing them with life-saving veterinary care for human-caused or life-threatening illnesses or injuries. But the MGVP’s work is not limited to just treating wild mountain gorillas in their native habitat. Mountain gorilla groups that are habituated to tourism come into direct or indirect contact with park workers (guides, trackers, porters), researchers and veterinarians on a daily basis. As well, habituated gorillas are visited by upwards of 2,000 ecotourists a year, who travel from around the world to visit the gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Because mountain gorillas are closely related to humans, and are affected by infectious diseases just as humans are, the MGVP works to minimize transmission of human diseases to mountain gorillas by ensuring that the people who come into close contact with the gorillas are as healthy as possible.

To that end, a major focus of the MGVP is human health, because it is clear that the health of mountain gorillas is inextricably linked to the health of the people with whom they share their forest habitat, as well as the health of the people living in the communities surrounding the parks. In 2001, the MGVP launched its Employee Health Program (EHP) in Rwanda, and expanded the program to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2004. Under the EHP, every mountain gorilla tracker, guide, porter, researcher, and veterinarian in Rwanda and DRC and his wife receives a comprehensive annual health evaluation: a physician’s examination, diagnostic blood work, HIV and TB testing, a vision test, and preventive vaccines. Any worker determined to have a health issue is sent to the local referral hospital for further diagnostics and treatment as necessary, all paid for by the MGVP. As a result, since 2001 the MGVP has administered thousands of health checks of gorilla conservation workers through its EHP: just last year, the MGVP put over 600 people through the program. In countries where the typical local two-room community health clinic is the only medical care available for 100,000+ people, and the district hospitals serve over a million people with only 20 physicians on staff, it goes without saying that health care is minimal to non-existent for most people. The value of the program is thus, quite literally, incomparable. Not only does it help ensure that humans coming into close contact with mountain gorillas are healthy; perhaps more importantly, it fosters a greater sense of purpose among the conservation workers for their role and value in the conservation of mountain gorillas, improving their performance, encouraging their long-term commitment, and raising their morale.