What has veterinary medicine got to do with conservation? Everything! Together we can empower local vets and biologists to save species.

#Training Vets #Building Partnerships #SavingSpecies 
Be part of the solution and make a difference today.
‍

Working in partnership to save species and protect biodiversity

Saving animals from extinction in today’s world is complex. Successful conservation relies on a multidisciplinary approach. By partnering local conservationists with specialist vets, we make sure that those working in economically disadvantaged but biodiverse regions, where there is a lack of wildlife health training, can develop the skills they need to save threatened species.

Wildlife populations everywhere have seen an average population decrease of 69% since 1970, as we live through our planet’s sixth mass extinction event, and the first driven by the activity of just one species – us. Now more than ever we need to make sure that local vets and biologists working on the conservation frontline have the best possible chances of saving the species with which they work.

Read more about WVI, what we do, and why it matters.

Donate Now

Our vision is for everyone working to save threatened species to have the essential wildlife health tools they need for treating sick and injured animals, managing disease, and responsibly releasing species back into the wild. Together, we can protect the planet and build a world where all thrive. 

Disease can have a devastating impact on conservation efforts

"If you have a small population of a threatened species, the sudden onset of disease, perhaps brought in from somewhere else, can very quickly have a catastrophic effect.”
- Andrew Greenwood, WVI co-founder and avian veterinary specialist.

Andrew helped our partners at the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation navigate a serious outbreak of avian disease which gravely threatened the recovery of the island’s echo parakeet, once the world’s rarest parrot.

Read more about why training conservationists to prevent, detect and treat disease is crucial to saving species and protecting ecosystems.

Echo parakeets are only found on Mauritius. A few decades ago, their numbers dropped to just 20 in the wild. Thanks to intensive conservation work, including navigating a serious outbreak of disease, there are now over 800 birds.

Donate Now

Helping animals recover from illness and injury

When numbers of a threatened species are really low, every individual is even more important to its survival. Getting the right treatment for a sick animal isn’t just about welfare; it’s about the role it can play in securing the future of the species once it’s released back into the wild.

We’ve been helping the ARCHELON Turtle Rescue Centre in Greece build their capacity in turtle medicine since 2020. Today the turtle care team are largely self-sufficient. With the right care, turtles heal faster and can return to the sea more quickly.

Donate Now

Making sure species are reintroduced to the wild safely

Reintroducing animals to historic or new habitat is an important conservation tool, but it needs to be done with great care. It’s imperative that the species moving into the new location does not pose any disease risks to animals or humans already in that environment, and vice versa. Read more.

Building new partnerships

By donating though the Big Give’s Green Match Fund, you can DOUBLE the impact wildlife vets can have when saving threatened species from extinction and protecting biodiversity for future generations. Your donation will support existing partnerships and build new ones, empowering local conservationists who can’t otherwise access vital wildlife health training.