Page 61 - Eclipse - RVC Alumni Magazine - Autumn 2020

Finding myself stranded on one of the planet’s most remote islands in the middle of a global pandemic was an unexpected twist in my
career... but I can’t wait to get back there to finish the job!
When I graduated from the RVC in 2007, I knew I wanted to work in zoo and wildlife medicine, and after a few years working in small animal and
exotic practice, I finally landed myself
an internship at a wildlife hospital in the USA. In 2012 I returned to the RVC to undertake a master’s degree in Wild Animal Health. This opened the door to a second internship, this time at Bristol Zoo, followed by a European College
of Zoological Medicine residency at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo, which finally led to a permanent post.
RZSS is a wildlife conservation charity which operates Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park, as well as supporting a variety of research and conservation projects globally. As part of the veterinary team I am privileged to work with an amazing range of
captive species and also contribute to some challenging field conservation projects, including the reintroduction
of Eurasian beavers to Scotland and
the conservation of Scotland’s wildcats and flapper skates. When RZSS was approached by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to provide veterinary support for one of the most ambitious projects they had attempted, I jumped at the opportunity to be involved.
Gough Island is a small uninhabited wilderness which sits roughly 1,600 miles off the coast of South Africa in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most important seabird nesting sites
in the world. Unfortunately, mice were introduced in the 1800s and quickly exploited the readily available food, devouring eggs and chicks alive and even attacking adult birds. With over two million chicks being lost annually, a rate highly likely to lead to extinction for species including the critically endangered Tristan albatross and the MacGillivray’s prion, something had to be done.
In February 2020 I joined a small team
of RSPB conservationists to make the daunting expedition to Gough for the first phase of the Gough Island Restoration Programme, an ambitious project aiming to eradicate the mice. On arrival in March, we set about building the infrastructure required for the project. But as the project progressed, news reached us of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. With countries rapidly closing their borders and the rest of the team unable to reach us, the devastating decision was made to postpone the project and an international effort swung into action to get us home.
A 12 day and 1,969 nautical mile sail by expedition yacht through rough seas to Ascension Island, followed by a 4,000- mile flight in an RAF A400 aircraft finally returned us safely to the UK in May.
While the RSPB hopes that the project can be reattempted in 2021, the future of this incredible island now hangs in the balance. Meanwhile, the future of RZSS is also at risk. With no income from visitors to our parks for over three months, the implications for the projects we support could be dire. There has never been a more important time to support zoos and other conservation organisations so that their vital work can continue into the future.
To find out more about RZSS wildlife conservation work, please visit www.rzss.org.uk/conservation.
The Gough Island Restoration Programme is led by the RSPB and Tristan da Cunha government, supported by the UK Government, together with international partners including Island Conservation from the USA, the South African Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, BirdLife South Africa and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. To find out more please visit www.goughisland.com.
Mouse Predation by B Dilley
CLASSNOTES
Gough Island Restoration Programme
Adam Naylor, BVetMed 2007 and MSc in Wild Animal Health 2013
Aerial of Gough Island by C Jones
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