A mountain gorilla walks in the forest of East Africa’s Virunga Volcanoes conservation area. It stops at a piece of wild celery, sits down, and begins to chew. It strips the vegetable’s fibrous threads through its teeth, extracting the fleshy, juicy bits, then drops the chewed stalk on the ground and ambles away. 

Wildlife biologist Justine Smith’s goal in Patagonia is to find wildlife conservation solutions that work because both ranchers and nonprofits have a seat at the table, not in spite of it.

The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced the joint formation of the Wildlife Disaster Network (WDN). This group of veterinarians, wildlife biologists, ecologists, trained animal care volunteers, and rehabilitation centers was created to bring experts together to respond to injured wildlife and prevent suffering.

In wildfire-beleaguered California, firefighters and emergency personnel race to help humans, livestock and neighborhoods across the state, year after year. Now, a new network is being created to help treat injured individuals from an overlooked population — wildlife.

A 2018 survey shows that mountain gorilla numbers have increased in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, and Sarambwe Reserve, DR Congo, according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority. From July 2018 to July 2019, in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park alone, Gorilla Doctors conducted 126 health checks and performed 23 veterinary interventions to treat ill or injured gorillas.