One Health

Riverview Rotarian, Raemonde Bezenar, found her passion in life when she visited Africa for the first time in 2007.  Since then, she has done nine gorilla treks—four in Uganda and five in DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). She has learned that wild gorillas are increasingly threatened by the loss of habitat, deforestation, illegal hunting, war, poaching and by the transmission of disease caused by humans.

She knew that she wanted to do something for gorillas, so after her first trip, in 2008 she established the The Mountain Gorilla Conservation Society of Canada, to help raise funds to help secure the future mountain and lowland gorillas. This was only the start of her long commitment to the mountain gorillas.

During one of her many visits, Raemonde learned about the work of Gorilla Doctors, the only organization in the world dedicated to saving the mountain gorilla species one gorilla patient at a time. They use veterinary medicine and science with a “One Health” approach. Raemonde had the opportunity to get to know the veterinarians working with the gorillas and see what they do. That motivated her to find a way for more veterinarians to receive training to care for gorillas.

Through Rotary, Raemonde was able to secure funding to enable two young veterinarians to qualify to work with gorillas and other wild animals by earning a Masters Degree in Wildlife Health and Management. Adrien Emile Ntwari, from Rwanda, recently qualified as a veterinarian and Theophile Kiluba, from the DRC, is currently (2024) completing his final year of studies. These two new veterinarians will join the cadre of professionals dedicated to the care of mountain gorillas.

If you travel to Uganda and Rwanda, you hear about the importance of the  gorillas. Visits by tourists from around the world creates an influx of money into these countries from fees charged to visit the gorilla, as well as hotels, meals, transportation and guides. This income helps finance wildlife conservation and gives local communities a tangible incentive to protect Africa’s ecosystems. For the communities to benefit, the gorillas must be present and healthy. In order for gorillas to keep attracting tourists, they have to be healthy. Through Raemonde dedication and Rotary, the future of the mountain gorillas is brighter.