A passionate private US vet drives rabies elimination efforts in the Maasai Mara, Kenya

While traveling to Kenya, I learned that although there are many organizations helping to meet the goal of Ending Rabies by 2030 by educating people and vaccinating dogs against rabies, I realized the remote areas of the Maasai Mara are harder to reach. Many organizations remain in one location during their vaccination campaigns and people come and stand in line with their pets to get veterinary care and vaccinations. In the Maasai Mara you have to drive to the villages to reach the dogs that have no veterinary care nor preventive medicine. I know of one organization that offers services in only 1 out of 24 conservancies of the Maasai Mara. I decided to start my own organization (Wild DVM) with the goal of covering the remaining conservancies. This area is right above the border with Tanzania which has better control of rabies with more intense vaccination programs. It made sense to me that in the Maasai Mara, they need to control rabies transmission from animal guardian dogs to humans as dogs are the main link between them and wildlife. The remote villages own many dogs to help guard their cattle from predators like lions who steal their cattle. Because Kenya does not allow the killing of any wildlife, the village people depend on their dogs to warn them when the predators are approaching. The villagers do get some help from the government for cattle loss due to a predator but for them, it is imperative to keep many dogs to discourage the lions.

Like everywhere on our planet, the population in the Maasai Mara is growing, creating more conflict between the protected wildlife and humans. One single village family owns a lot more dogs than a family living in a town. The dogs are free-roaming and more difficult to catch for vaccination which becomes a challenge.

On August 28, 2023, I flew to Nairobi with 500 dog rabies vaccines, and with the help of 3 local veterinarians who volunteered, we covered the Siana Conservancy. I returned home and wrote an article about the vaccination to create awareness. In December of 2023, I was lucky to have it published by the Veterinary News Magazine. I also maintained a Facebook page and website to show what I was doing. To my surprise, I had people from other conservancies asking when I would be going to their area to vaccinate. I knew then I was doing something good. The village people are very aware of the lives rabies has claimed and they are very open to receiving information and help. Since then, I have been organizing my second vaccination trip to Kenya. On September 1 this year (2024), I am bringing 3 volunteers from California and meeting with 4 Kenyan veterinarians to vaccinate dogs, cats, and donkeys in the Lemek Conservancy. All volunteers are vaccinated against rabies. With more volunteers, I can bring more vaccines and medical supplies.  

As we learn to share space with wildlife, we need to be aware of the dangers of living in close proximity to them. I have downloaded the rabies brochure from the GARC website to help educate the village people as we vaccinate their animals. The vaccine I take is donated by Boehringer Ingelheim, but I cover the medical supplies, transportation, medical embroidered scrubs and the room and board for the Kenyan veterinary volunteers, among others. Just 3 weeks ago I began to ask for donations. Helping comes easy to me but asking for donations is humbling.

Article contributed by: Deborah Aparicio MVZ, CWRP

Small Animal and Exotics veterinarian and Owner of Clayton Valley Pet Hospital in Concord, CA

President of Wild DVM, a non-profit organization registered as a Public Charity which helps manage wildlife damage while protecting all species and protecting human welfare. We vaccinate village guard dogs from remote villages in the Maasai Mara to help stop the transmission of this disease to people, especially children that are the most affected in these areas.

Website: https://www.wilddvm.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildDVM/