Drane and Shave worked with European zoos, great ape sanctuaries in Africa and Indonesia, and international veterinary organisations to improve understanding, diagnosis and management of heart disease in critically endangered great apes. They assessed cardiac health in
543 apes, provided professional development for
200 veterinary professionals from
80 institutions across
35 countries; assisted animal selection for the
World’s largest ever chimpanzee re-introduction programme; and, produced
Pan African Sanctuary Alliance professional veterinary guidelines - collectively contributing to the
survival of the species.
“The scan and other tests were carried out on Kumbuka, a 15-year-old adult silverback lowland gorilla. Great apes tend to live longer in zoos, prompting questions about whether their cardiac problems could be linked to a more sedentary lifestyle. Subtle differences in human and great ape hearts could also help to explain how the human heart may have evolved.”
Extract from
BBC News