The Vets Who Care for Rwanda’s Gorillas

The endangered gorillas that Dian Fossey studied and worked to save are still there in the Virunga Mountains of central Africa. They are still under threat from poachers and habitat loss, but some populations have actually grown in the past ten years. One of the reasons is a group of ten dedicated veterinarians of the organization Gorilla Doctors. They head out into the bush with armed guards and trackers to check on the health and welfare of the gorillas. They treat illness to keep it from spreading through the population, and often care for wounds caused by animal traps.



Atlas Obscura interviewed veterinarian Jean Bosco Noheri, known as Dr. Noel, about Gorilla Doctors' work. He told a story about a desperate mission to save a baby gorilla that had a snare around its neck. The gorilla family was guarded fiercely by several silverbacks that didn't trust the humans. That story shows the great lengths these doctors will go to in order to save one gorilla at a time. Read how they accomplished that at Atlas Obscura.