The Gorilla Doctors would like to introduce our newest veterinarian, Dr. Abdulhameed Kateregga, or Dr. Hameed. Dr. Hameed joined our Ugandan staff this January to serve as the PREDICT field veterinarian in Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga National Parks and to assist Dr. Fred in the monitoring and care of Uganda’s mountain gorilla population.

Dr. Fred is currently teaching Dr. Hameed about MGVP’s gorilla health monitoring program and the two have been very busy visiting all of Uganda’s habituated mountain gorilla groups. In his role for PREDICT, Dr. Hameed will assist Dr. Benard in researching emerging infectious diseases in the wildlife populations of Uganda’s national parks.

As a student at Makerere University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, where MGVP supports a substantial capacity building program, Dr. Hameed was selected as one of MGVP’s undergraduate scholars in 2009. He was mentored by our research veterinarian, Dr. JBN, who oversaw Dr. Hameed thesis investigating the prevalence of gastrointestinal disease in the mountain gorillas undergoing habituation in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

After completing his studies at Makerere in 2010, Dr. Hameed enrolled in a long-distance learning program at the University of Edinburgh in order to obtain a Master of Science in international animal health. He is due to complete his studies in 2014. Before becoming a Gorilla Doctor, Dr. Hameed worked as a veterinary officer for the Uganda-based non-profit Conservation through Public Health. 

“After being chosen as a MGVP undergraduate scholar and working under Dr. JBN, all I really wanted to do was work with mountain gorillas as an MGVP veterinarian,” says Dr. Hameed.  “At the time I graduated, MGVP had no openings, but I’ve waited patiently for this opportunity to come up.”

You can follow the Gorilla Doctors health monitoring efforts on our Facebook page, where we post photos and notes from our monthly visits.

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