Few of the countries where we work provide any wildlife health training for vets or field biologists. In addition, there tends to be very limited, if any, capacity for analysing samples. Often, the only initial possibility is to have samples analysed in the UK. 

We help to develop the capacity of field staff, wildlife and forestry departments, local vets and diagnostic facilities wherever we can. When visiting a project, the vets we sponsor give as much clinical assistance as they are able in what is usually a short space of time, often just a couple of weeks. They will demonstrate anaesthesia and surgical techniques, as well as providing training on any new equipment and on how to collect and store samples correctly for disease analysis. 

In the process, we provide on-the-job training for local staff, as well as advising on all the veterinary aspects of the conservation project. We are always ready to help devise new protocols and practices as the need arises. We also run specific training courses when appropriate. 

A major focus of our work on the ground is collecting data and samples which can be fed into studies about the risk of disease to a particular species. We help local staff, vets and volunteers build their capacity for surveying, identifying and responding to any outbreaks of disease. 

It’s not just the particular endangered species that will benefit from this work; other local wildlife, livestock, pets and people also stand to gain. For example, mobile distemper and rabies vaccination clinics in Zimbabwe protect not just African painted wolves, but local domestic pets and their owners as well. 

The vets we support typically follow up any hands-on training with bespoke manuals for particular projects. These will cover everything from welfare issues and the correct handling of the animals involved, to understanding the analysis of samples taken in the field. They stay in touch with our projects electronically and provide ongoing support. 

WVI believes that developing local wildlife knowledge, along with the capacity to measure and analyse disease in the country where a project is actually based, are key aspects in making sure that conservations efforts are sustainable in the long term. 

We aim to bring together relevant material and experience from around the world, and in the future want to make much more of this information accessible online, where it can be easily shared.

The projects WVI supports fall under four themes: