William Karesh

William Karesh, D.V.M., heads the Field Veterinary Program (FVP) of the Wildlife Conservation Society, which has over 300 field projects in 50 countries around the world. Dr. Karesh was hired to develop this program in 1989 to address health-related issues among field biologists and conservationists. The program provides services overseas for the Society’s field staff as well as workers from government agencies and non-governmental organizations. The FVP also conducts research on the health status of free-ranging wildlife populations, provides training for foreign veterinarians and biologists, and frequently assists overseas organizations and agencies with wildlife translocations, as well as confiscation and rehabilitation issues. Major initiatives of the FVP include the development of multi-national wildlife/livestock/human health programs and policy consultation for developing country governments and bilateral aid organizations.

In 1999, the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Field Veterinary Program initiated the first comprehensive preventive health program for free-ranging lowland gorillas aimed at protecting populations in three range states (Gabon, Congo and CAR) from the risk of exposure to emerging or introduced diseases. This program was created in response to the growing interest in gorilla ecotourism, proliferation of ecological / wildlife research, and expansion of human communities in and around the forests of Central Africa. This program was up and running during the recent Ebola outbreaks that have swept across northern Congo and Gabon, allowing FVP vets and collaborating scientists to respond quickly to the crisis.

Dr. Karesh is also Co-Chair of the IUCN SSC Veterinary Specialist Group.