Veterinarians from over a dozen African countries in addition to France, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and the Netherlands confronted issues such as tuberculosis, opthamology, parasites, and took part in surgery presentations at the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) 2009 Veterinary Workshop, which was held Nov. 16-20 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The workshop included a two-day field trip to the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Nanyuki, near the base of Mount Kenya.

The PASA 2009 Veterinary Workshop was the seventh annual gathering of veterinarians and vet-techs that work in primate rescue and rehabilitation centers in Africa. The workshop was sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) Great Apes Fund, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the Chester Zoo, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the Columbus Zoo, the Blank Park Zoo, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Pfizer Animal Health, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Chembio Diagnostic Systems, the Lincoln Park Zoo, Gorilla Haven, the Kenya Wildlife Service, and the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

PASA also introduced the updated PASA Veterinary Healthcare Manual in Kenya, a new version of the original manual produced by PASA veterinarians in 2004. Written speficially to address the emergency conditions facing PASA veterinarians on a daily basis, the manual will be made available in printed, CD and on-line formats.

PASA was formed in 2000 to unite the sanctuaries that care for thousands of rescued chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, drills and other endangered primates across Africa. For more information, please visit www.pasaprimates.org or contact info@pasaprimates.org.