Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka’s “Walking with Gorillas” book is on sale in all good bookshops.
We’re immensely proud that our very own Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka has published her memoir. I can’t wait to pick up my copy of her book next week in the UK.
“I recommend this book to everyone interested in conservation, alleviating poverty, and the role of women in society. But perhaps most importantly it is a truly inspiring story of how one determined and dedicated woman overcame many setbacks and faced many dangers to follow and realize her dream.”
Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE and UN Messenger of Peace, from the foreword to “Walking with Gorillas”
Dr Gladys is Uganda’s leading, award-winning wildlife vet and gorilla conservation expert. She is the country’s first ever wildlife vet. In 2017, we collaborated on an ecotourism guide to tracking gorillas for Horizon Guides. For many years, she has been calling on us to all wear masks when tracking the great apes (gorillas and chimpanzees). During the pandemic, I often recalled her words about the threat of disease spread between species:
Humans and gorillas share over 98% genetic material and can easily make each other sick. This means that we have to “tread lightly” when visiting gorillas and take precautionary measures such as not tracking when you are sick, maintaining a distance and in the future going an extra step further by wearing masks to further reduce human disease threats to the critically endangered mountain gorillas.
Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
This uplifting debut by conservationist Kalema-Zikusoka reflects on her upbringing in Uganda and career as a wildlife veterinarian. Born in Kampala, Uganda, in 1970, the author was two years old when her father, a former cabinet minister, was abducted and murdered by the forces of then-president Idi Amin. She recounts devoting herself to her education and enrolling at the University of London Royal Veterinary College, becoming at age 26 Uganda’s first veterinarian specializing in wild animals. Vivid anecdotes detail the sometimes gritty nature of her work with endangered mountain gorillas, as when she describes using sugar to help reduce swelling around a gorilla’s prolapse. Through her work, she became “convinced that you couldn’t keep the gorillas healthy without improving the health and well-being of the people with whom they shared their fragile habitats” and began studying disease transmission between humans and primates. That research, she relates, enabled her to successfully advocate for Uganda’s adoption of the “One Health” approach to conservation, which recognizes that human hygiene and health lead to better welfare for plants and animals. The heartwarming narrative testifies to the good that one person can achieve and illuminates the complex interdependence between humans and their environments. Admirers of Jane Goodall will love this.
A summary of “Walking with gorillas” from the publisher
Read more about Gorilla Conservation Coffee, a clever conservation initiative, a sustainably produced coffee and a great cafe too!
Her zeal for animals and gorillas in particular, as witnessed in this book, have lead Gladys to ground breaking innovations in conservation winning her global awards. This is an awe-inspiring walk by a remarkable lady who stands to be counted among women of incredible determination and purpose.
HRH Nnabagereka, Sylvia Nagginda Luswata, Queen of Buganda Kingdom, Uganda
Dr Gladys is an incredible lady. She’s an inspiring role model for Ugandan women – and women everywhere. I can’t wait to read her book!
