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Mike Cranfield, DVM
The Passing of a Conservation Legend
We are beyond a loss for words to announce the passing of the extraordinary Dr. Mike Cranfield on August 28, 2023 following a several weeks-long battle with West Nile virus. Mike was an icon, One Health pioneer, and hero to wildlife conservation and so many people around the world.
During his more than twenty-year tenure as Gorilla Doctors’ Director, Mike transformed and expanded the field of wildlife conservation medicine through his visionary approach. Mike was an instrumental mentor to countless students, veterinarians, and early career conservationists working in eastern gorilla habitat countries, fostering the capacity and talent of the future leaders of great ape medicine. Mike contributed immeasurably to the recovery of mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda, and DR Congo, one of the few conservation success stories on our planet. In 2006, under Mike’s leadership Gorilla Doctors expanded to include veterinary health monitoring of critically endangered Grauer’s gorillas in eastern DR Congo.
We will follow with a longer tribute soon that attempts to capture the magnitude of Mike’s impact. We thank you for your understanding while we begin to process this unimaginable loss.
The Gorilla Doctors Team
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