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GIC News
WOCC Vet Tech Travels to Kenya
Senior Research Veterinary Technician Marci Oliva recently traveled to Kenya as part of an ongoing exchange with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). The exchange program is a collaboration that started in 2006, when a KWS veterinary technician traveled to White Oak to learn methods for banking samples and managing a pharmacy. Since then, WOCC and KWS technicians alternate years, traveling to the other’s facility to provide training for the KWS technicians. This year, Marci’s trip was focused on avian hematology. Twenty people participated in the training, confirming the enthusiasm that the KWS technicians have for improving their skills and providing the best care possible for wildlife. While visiting, Marci had the opportunity to take part in a field project, assessing the health of lesser flamingos in Lake Nakuro National Park. Elsie Wambui, a KWS technician who has participated in the exchange from the beginning, Marcie, project coordinator Dr. Tom Manyibe, and two ornithologists from the University of Nairobi, spent the next days capturing birds, collecting samples, and performing hematology. You can read a full account of Marci’s trip in the upcoming edition of White Oak’s newsletter, Karatasi. More information on training programs, such as this one, is available by clicking here.
Congo President Visits Okapi Wildlife Reserve In March Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila visited the Okapi Wildlife Reserve headquarters in Epulu (below right, Kabila with OCP Project Director Rosie Ruf). During the visit President Kabila
Sumatran Rhino News With less than 200 animals left in Malaysia and Indonesia, the Sumatran rhino is one of the rarest large mammals in the world. White Oak Conservation Center/GIC supports conservation efforts for Sumatran and Javan rhinos in Indonesia through the International Rhino Foundation (IRF). In November 2008 White Oak Conservation Center (WOCC) received a two year old male Sumatran rhino born at the Cincinnati Zoo. As part of our growing commitment to rhino conservation, WOCC now participates with the Global Propagation Management Board (GPMB) for Sumatran rhinos. Representing White Oak, Director of Conservation Steve Shurter recently attended the 2009 GMPB meeting held in Bogor, Indonesia, organized by the Indonesian Rhino Foundation.
Working with SRS managers, vets and keepers, and IRF personnel, a review of the Sumatran rhino breeding program was conducted during the visit to help identify efficiencies and improve the program’s success. The Indonesian Rhino Conservation Foundation operates the SRS with support from the International Rhino Foundation, including funding from White Oak/GIC. A team of White Oak Conservation Center staff members traveled to the GIC Okapi Project in the Ituri Forest of the DR Congo this month. Their goal is to conduct a health assessment for the managed okapi found at the project headquarters located in Epulu. The team consists of White Oak Staff Veterinarian Scott Citino, Research Coordinator Linda Penfold, and Scotty Wade, Hoofed Stock Supervisor.
The project involves anesthetizing thirteen captive okapi and conducting thorough health examinations, as well as providing treatments such as hoof trims or medications against parasites. An important aspect of this work is to collect biological samples to further assess the health of the captive okapi in Epulu, and serve as an important database of information about the species.
This project was funded in part by a grant from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conservation Endowment Fund and by Gilman International Conservation. White Oak Conservation Center Newsletter The latest edition of Karatasi, White Oak Conservation Center's bi-annual newsletter, is available for download. Click here to view the newsletter.
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met with Institute in Congo for the Conservation of Nature and Okapi Conservation Project staff and visited the okapi at the Epulu Station. The visit generated much excitement in the nearby village and along the entire route of his tour. The GIC Okapi Conservation Project was pleased for the opportunity to discuss the Okapi Wildlife Reserve and the importance of okapi conservation with the president.
The trip included a stay at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) located in Way Kambas National Park on Sumatra. The 100 hectare facility was constructed as a breeding sanctuary for Sumatran rhinos (currently 5 rhinos) and is situated in the lowland forest of southeastern Sumatra, which protects an abundance of wildlife and a population of wild Sumatran rhinos. 
