Honouring Brian Miller's Legacy: Empowering Wildlife Conservation Through Training

The Brian Miller Memorial Bursary was established in April 2024, following his untimely death. It was made possible by the generous support of Brian’s wife, Barbara Miller, and his daughter, Sharon Miller, co-founder of WVI. A passionate wildlife enthusiast, Brian was immensely proud of Sharon for establishing both Wildlife Vets International and, previously, Amur, a charity dedicated to Amur leopard and tiger conservation. The Miller family has supported both charities for many years, and we are incredibly grateful for this wonderful gesture in Brian’s name. We were also delighted to have received support from Metamorphosis Foundation, which enabled us to make additional awards in the first year of the scheme.  

Bridging the Gap in Wildlife Health Training

Improving access to specialised wildlife health training is at the heart of what we do, recognising conservation medicine as a vital element in saving threatened species. The bursary scheme was designed to support international veterinary professionals in accessing training opportunities which would otherwise have not been available to them. To this end, we proudly awarded bursaries to four outstanding veterinarians from our shortlist: Dr. Gala Ortiz from Argentina, Dr. Priscila Peralta-Aguilar from Peru, Dr. Afifah Hasna from Indonesia, and Dr. Atuman Yakuba from Nigeria. We are delighted to share an update on the remarkable progress each recipient has made since receiving their award.

Dr. Gala Ortiz

Gala, a veterinarian who qualified from the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, works with the “Rewilding Argentina Foundation.” Her research group studies various ecological aspects of apex predators in Argentina, with Gala’s role involving the anaesthetisation of wildlife for GPS collaring and biological sample collection.

Thanks to the Brian Miller Memorial Bursary, Gala completed the Wildlife Capture and Chemical Immobilization course from the Center for Wildlife Studies. Gala shared “It has been incredibly enriching for my professional practice...Since taking the course, I have faced new challenges not only with species I was already familiar with, but also with new species I’ve not had the opportunity to work with. In both cases, I found myself applying much of the knowledge I gained during this educational experience.”

Part of Gala’s work also involves training new veterinarians and field technicians who assist during wildlife captures. Gala noted that “the course has provided me with valuable theoretical tools that have enhanced the way I teach and share knowledge”

“I am truly grateful and hope that this bursary continues to be available to wildlife veterinarians around the world who wish to enhance their daily practice”

Dr. Priscila Peralta-Aguilar

Priscila is a Peruvian Wildlife Veterinarian. Prior to moving to Gabon, Priscila was in Costa Rica as a wildlife veterinarian in the Movement Ecology Program as a collaborator in the project “Investigating large-scale movements of the vulture community in biological corridors of the Osa Peninsula to understand how they respond to human presence and disturbance”.

Supported by the Brian Miller Bursary, Priscilla was able to complete the Malilangwe Wildlife Capture School’s 10-week course in chemical and physical restraint of African wildlife. Hosted on the Malilangwe Wildlife Estate in Zimbabwe and organised by the Wild Capture Africa Trust, this course is taught by some of Africa's most experienced wildlife veterinarians. It provided Priscila with practical, interactive training in the safe, effective, and ethical use of chemical and physical restraint for the capture, management, and veterinary care of wild animals.

Priscila has already demonstrated how she is applying this new knowledge. Whilst conducting a health check on a jaguar named ‘Prince’, a victim of trafficking now at Pilpintuwasi - a sanctuary in the heart of the Amazon - Priscilla was able to use a newly learnt anaesthetic protocol. “During his rescue last year, we used a combination of xylazine and ketamine. However, that's considered outdated for jaguars today. Thanks to my field training in Zimbabwe earlier this year, I learned how newer protocols work on big cats. This time, I used Zoletil + Dexmedetomidine, with Atipamezole + Yohimbine as reversal agents. Dexmedetomidine is very hard to find in Peru, so it was a challenge, but the procedure went incredibly well.”

“Overall, it was a truly rewarding experience, and another step forward as I prepare myself to study jaguars in the wild...I would like to thank you again for supporting my training and helping to highlight the work of wildlife vets around the world.”

Dr. Afifah Hasna

Afifah is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), acquired from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science – IPB University, Indonesia. Afifah has spent three years at the Anoa Breeding Centre in Manado, where she has conducted several studies on how to reduce stillbirths and was responsible for the first successful caesarean birth of captive lowland anoa in Indonesian history.  

The anoa is a small buffalo, with a life expectancy of 20-30 years in captivity. They are endemic to the island of Sulawesi; the wild population has been estimated by the IUCN at less than 2500. With such low numbers, every captive birth is important to the survival of the species. Therefore, Afifah’s work and specialist knowledge is incredibly important to the continued success of this species.  

In May, supported by the Brian Miller Bursary Afifah introduced her work with captive breeding of anoa, a small buffalo, in Indonesia at the European Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians Zoo Conference in Győr, Hungary. Afifah reflected that the bursary has provided “An incredible opportunity for me to connect with fellow vets around the world, exchange ideas and take my career to the next level. But this is not just about me, because I hope I can inspire other veterinarians to be brave, to follow their passion and make a real impact in conservation.”

Dr. Atuman Yakuba

Atuman is a veterinarian committed to wildlife health activities in Nigeria. He is a Research Officer and Veterinary Investigation Officer at the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in Vom, Nigeria, overseeing the NVRI Bauchi Outstation Diagnostic Laboratory. Atuman’s role includes coordinating disease surveillance activities at the wildlife/livestock/human interface and supporting the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in Yankari Game Reserve (YGR) and Africa Nature Investors (ANI) in Gashaka-Gumti National Park.

With additional support from VetCT, Atuman has been able to take part in the IWAH (Interventions in Wild Animal Health) field course. This unique, intensive field training program is designed for veterinary professionals working to save endangered species. It equips vets with critical skills to effectively support wildlife conservation efforts, particularly in tackling relatively unstudied and unchecked wildlife diseases.