Book Review
In her enchanting memoir, Walking with Gorillas, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Uganda’s first wildlife veterinarian, tells the remarkable story from her animal-loving childhood to her career protecting endangered mountain gorillas and other wild animals. She is also the defender of people as a groundbreaking promoter of human public health and an advocate for revolutionary integrated approaches to saving our planet. In an increasingly interconnected world, animal and human health alike depend on sustainable solutions and Dr. Gladys has developed an innovative approach to conservation among the endangered Mountain Gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and their human neighbors.
Walking with Gorillas takes the reader on an incredible personal journey with Dr. Gladys. From her early days as a student in Uganda, enduring the assassination of her father during a military coup, to her veterinarian education in England, to establishing the first veterinary department for the Ugandan government, to founding one of the first organizations in the world that enables people to coexist with wildlife through improving the health and wellbeing of both. Her award-winning approach reduced the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on critically endangered mountain gorillas.
In the face of discrimination and a male dominated world, one woman’s passion and determination to build a brighter future for the local wildlife and human community offers inspiration and insights into what is truly possible for our planet when we come together.
Author Quotes
I appreciate the opportunity of working with many amazing women through our work at Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) and Gorilla Conservation Coffee in conserving the endangered mountain gorillas and other wildlife and improving the health and livelihoods of people living around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
If you don’t attend to the needs of the people who share their habitats with gorillas and other wildlife, it’s very difficult to conserve wildlife in the future.
If you keep wildlife populations healthy people can benefit from them, especially through tourism. A species like the mountain gorilla, people are willing to pay a lot to see them.
About the author
2022 Edinburgh Medal recipient, National Geographic Explorer, and winner of the Sierra Club Earthcare Award, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka has been a life-long champion of wildlife, from the early days of looking after stray animals at home, to setting up a wildlife club at school. As an African woman growing up in a male dominated society, she found the determination and courage to overcome the many obstacles to her gender to become Uganda’s first wildlife vet, treating the critically endangered mountain gorillas of Bwindi National Park. From there, she founded her non-profit, Conservation Through Public Health, a systems-changing policy of making human health a priority to assure the health of wildlife, and the social enterprise, Gorilla Conservation Coffee to protect endangered gorillas, create health and prosperity for the local human communities, and be a caretaker for our planet. She lives outside Kampala, Uganda, with her husband and sons.
Find out more
Walking with Gorillas is now available to be pre-ordered at:
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Walking-With-Gorillas/Gladys-Kalema-Zikusoka/9781950994267 in USA
https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Walking-With-Gorillas/Gladys-Kalema-Zikusoka/9781950994267 in UK
Why LoA loves it…
Over the many years we have known Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, one thing about her stands out about the rest. She is incredibly passionate and focused about making an impact and positively changing the lives of both the gorillas and the humans in the place that means everything to her - Bwindi National Park. To speak with Gladys, to hear her talk about impact, is to be inspired to become a fellow change-maker in the world, just like her. If you read one book this year about a woman social entrepreneur and impact maker contributing to a better Africa and a better world, then Walking with Gorillas is a must read! Truly inspirational! — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa