Dr. Dawn Zimmerman is the Regional Veterinary Manager of the Gorilla Doctors program based in
Musanze, Rwanda. As part of her role, Zimmerman leads gorilla health monitoring and medical
interventions, supervises the staff and interns, liaises with partners, and facilitates research. Originally
from California, Zimmerman earned her B.S. in Biological Sciences from UC Davis. She completed her
Master of Science degree in Biology with a concentration in Ecology from San Diego State University,
completing her thesis work through San Diego Zoo’s Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species in
Reproductive Physiology, studying ovarian follicular atresia in the domestic dog as a model for the
development of oocyte rescue techniques in endangered canids. Zimmerman graduated from Ross
University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2001, after a clinical year at Louisiana State University. She
completed an internship in zoological medicine at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and subsequently was
hired as Associate Veterinarian then Senior Veterinarian at the Memphis Zoo.
Having gone to veterinary school with the sole goal to work with endangered species, I could not have
been luckier than when chosen for the internship at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo. Although subjected to
the humor of my mentor Dr. Doug Armstrong, he provided me with my first opportunity to be involved with
an in situ conservation project, providing veterinary education to those working with Siberian tigers in the
Russian Far East.
Training Russian veterinarians on tiger anesthesia at the Henry Doorly Zoo, Nebraska.
Teaching anesthesia and phlebotomy on Asiatic black bears outside of Vladivostok, Russia.
Subsequently, I sought out grants and research projects to work abroad with endangered species.
Through contact with Dr. Ed Louis (DVM, PhD geneticist at Henry Doorly Zoo) and a grant from the
Memphis Zoo, I was able to participate in lemur conservation in Madagascar….
….And with Dr. Markus Hofmeyr, chief veterinarian at Kruger National Park in South Africa, I helped with
black rhinoceros translocations…
….With Dr. Kirk Suedmeyer and Dr. Ingrid Wiesel of the Brown Hyena Research Project, I assisted in
evaluating the health status of brown hyenas in Namibia…in between getting flat tires and stuck in the
sand….
…and with Dr. Mark Mitchell, travelled to El Salvador to research assisted reproductive techniques in
tortoises and iguanas, as well as the fine art of Spanish karioke.
During my time at the Memphis Zoo, in-house research projects included evaluating a human serological
test for Baylisascaris infection in non-human primates, studying metastatic mineralization in captive
Komodo dragons, evaluating applications of infrared thermography for the physiological monitoring of
captive wildlife, and developing a tuberculosis vaccine for free-ranging lions.
After more than 8 years at the Memphis Zoo, I was offered the Regional Veterinary Manager position with
the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (“Gorilla Doctors”) based in Central Africa, a project that
epitomizes the effect that conservation medicine using a One Health approach can have on a critically
endangered species. The Project’s main mission is to help sustain the mountain gorilla population and
the effect of the Project is clear: all great apes are endangered; the mountain gorilla is the only great ape
increasing in number. From 2003-2010, the population increased by 26.3%. Forty percent of that increase
was attributed to veterinary care (reference: PLoS One:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0019788).
The Gorilla Doctors, powered by the non-profit Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project and the University of
California, Davis, are dedicated to saving the lives of critically-endangered mountain gorillas through
medical care. Our international team of veterinarians is the only group providing these animals with direct,
hands-on care in the wild. With only 780 mountain gorillas left in the world today, it is critical to ensure the
health and well-being of every individual gorilla. About 480 gorillas live in the Virunga Volcanoes Massif,
which spans Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park,
and Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park. Another 400 gorillas live in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in
Uganda. In addition, Gorilla Doctors also monitor the health of Grauer’s gorillas living in eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo.
The land surrounding the national parks where gorillas live is some of the most densely populated in
Africa. As a result of intense human activity near and inside the parks, gorillas face numerous threats to
their survival, including poaching and habitat loss. Because gorillas share 98.5% of their genes with
humans, their greatest health threat may come from human-borne infectious diseases.
The Gorilla Doctors’ veterinary team regularly monitors the health of gorilla groups to ensure the early
detection of disease and injury. When gorillas suffer from human-induced or life-threatening trauma or
disease, the team stages medical interventions to save their lives. While circumstances vary for each
case, generally animals suffering from infectious disease are darted with antibiotics and injured animals
are anesthetized and treated in the forest.
As a result of poaching and the illegal trade of wild animals, Gorilla Doctors also treat and care for
confiscated gorilla orphans. Gorilla Doctors assist all three governments by providing emergency and
quarantine care for all gorillas from the moment they are rescued until their transfer to a long-term care
facility.
In addition, on-the-ground aspects of the program in Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and
Uganda, include health monitoring and clinical care for other wildlife species as well as for human and
domestic animal communities with which the mountain gorilla shares its ecosystem. This includes an
Employee Health Program for all trackers, guides, porters, veterinarians, and researchers that enter the
park; rabies programs to vaccinate domestic dogs; and participation in a global campaign to identify the
emergence of new infectious diseases in wildlife that could pose a major threat to human health
(PREDICT).
To learn more about the Gorilla Doctors or make a donation to support their work, please visit
www.GorillaDoctors.org.