Gorilla Doctors has expanded its veterinary team, thanks to a recently awarded grant from Partners in Conservation at the Columbus Zoo.

Dr. Martin

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dr. Martin Kabuyaya Balyananziu was hired as a field veterinarian to assist DRC Head Field Veterinarian Dr. Eddy in providing veterinary care to DRC’s mountain and Grauer’s gorillas and the orphans at Senkwekwe.  A graduate of the University of Lubumbashi of School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Martin managed the serological service for the veterinary laboratory in Goma and taught anatomy and animal science courses at Kivu University before joining Gorilla Doctors.

“I am very excited to join the Gorilla Doctors family,” says Dr. Martin. “I won’t just be working with wildlife; I will make a contribution towards saving and protecting mountain gorillas through health reporting and performing medical interventions with the other Gorilla Doctors.”

Dr. Jacques Iyanya, who worked alongside Dr. Eddy as a field veterinarian in DRC for 7 years, will now manage the administration of Gorilla Doctors’ DRC projects part-time from our Goma office so that he can spend more time with his family.

Dr. Noel with Ihirwe.

In Rwanda, Dr. Jean Bosco Noheri, or Noel as we like to call him, was promoted to the position of Rwanda In-Country Field Veterinarian. He will assist Rwanda Head Field Veterinarian Dr. Jean-Felix to look after the health of the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. Dr. Noel has served as Gorilla Doctors Laboratory Manager at our Musanze headquarters since 2009 and has also assisted with clinical interventions in Rwanda, Uganda, and DRC. Dr. Noel first interned with Gorilla Docotrs as a veterinary student in 2008. Gorilla Doctors is proud to have played a significant role in Dr. Noel’s career training and advancement.

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

Please consider supporting MGVP by making a secure online donation. Every dollar you give goes to directly supporting our gorilla health programs and One Health initiative. Thank you for your generosity.