Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Uganda’s first wildlife veterinarian, has shared her experiences in a memoir, shedding light on the challenges and rewards of habituating wild gorillas. Her work has received recognition from prominent conservation organizations.
In the early 1990s, Uganda embarked on gorilla habituation efforts in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, starting with the Katendegyere and Mubare groups in Buhoma. While the economic benefits and close monitoring of gorillas are evident, there are risks involved, including disease transmission and poaching. The Katendegyere group, which opened for tourism in 1993 with 11 gorillas, dwindled to just three by 1998.
In her memoir titled “Walking With Gorillas,” Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka recounted her experience treating Katendegyere gorillas afflicted with scabies. She used a dart pistol and blowpipe to administer ivermectin to the affected gorillas.
Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka explained that the gorillas likely contracted scabies from contaminated clothing left on scarecrows in areas where they foraged for banana plants and eucalyptus tree bark on community land. The mites responsible for the infection burrowed under their skin and spread within the group as they groomed each other.
Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka’s journey as a wildlife veterinarian began after her graduation from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London. She returned to Uganda to become the country’s first wildlife veterinarian, working with Uganda National Parks, later rebranded as Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), where she established the veterinary department.
Over the course of 27 years, she has treated various sick animals in the wild, relocated elephants, gorillas, and giraffes, and rescued orphaned baby chimpanzees while addressing zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases, which can be transmitted between humans and animals, pose a significant threat to both wildlife and human health.
Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka’s involvement in wildlife conservation led her to establish the non-profit organization Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) in 2003. CTPH aims to promote biodiversity conservation by improving the health and livelihoods of people, gorillas, and livestock in and around Africa’s protected areas.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought attention to the concept of One Health, which seeks to understand the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka mentioned that Uganda is working on developing a National One Health Platform to address zoonotic diseases and emerging pandemic threats collaboratively.
While her work has received recognition from prominent conservation organizations, Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka expressed concern about the limited number of women leading conservation organizations worldwide. She emphasized the importance of women’s voices in conservation efforts, citing the significant role played by the wives of reformed poachers in curbing wildlife threats.
Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka, who resides with her husband and two sons, highlighted the importance of family support in her career, which often requires extensive travel. She also shared how lessons learned from gorillas, such as interbirth intervals, influenced her approach to family planning.
“Walking With Gorillas” is available for purchase in major bookshops in Kampala and online through Amazon.
