Show Notes
What if protecting humans is the key to protecting wildlife? In this episode, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka tells host Marcus Smith how people living near African nature preserves can unknowingly pass illnesses to nearby mountain gorillas—and how she's working with local communities to shield these endangered animals from disease and habitat loss.
As Uganda's first wildlife veterinarian, Kalema-Zikusoka pioneered the use of "One Health" in gorilla conservation—an approach that treats human, animal, and environmental health as interconnected, rather than separate concerns. By investing in the health and economic security of nearby communities, she keeps gorillas healthy too. The payoff is a thriving gorilla tourism industry that benefits the entire country.
Guest: Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, founder and CEO of Conservation Through Public Health and author of "Walking with Gorillas: The Journey of an African Wildlife Vet"
Chapters: (0:00) Meet Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka (8:28) A Lonely Childhood (17:29) To Become a Wildlife Vet (22:46) Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (32:44) What is One Health? (46:27) How to End Poaching
Photo credit: Jo-Anne McArthur / #unboundproject / We Animals Media
Originally aired May 24, 2023
Note: Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka's mother, Canon Hon . Rhoda Kalema, passed away in 2025.
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