Virbac Partners With Yorkshire-based Charity Wildlife Vets International

A male tiger coming into his prime judging by his teeth. Virbac Animal Health has signed up as a partner to Wildlife Vets International (WVI), a Yorkshire-based charity which provides veterinary support and skills to conservation workers on field projects to save rare and endangered animals around the world. Current projects include:

• An initiative to protect the African painted dog in Zimbabwe. The number of these dogs has crashed since the political situation in the country deteriorated.
• An international effort to reintroduce one of the world’s rarest big cats, the Amur leopard, into the Far East of Russia. The indigenous population is currently facing extinction with as few as 25 individuals thought to be surviving.

In addition to becoming a partner for the next three years, Virbac has also provided supplies of its Zoletil anaesthetic to the charity since it was formed in 2004. It is used by WVI Veterinary Director John Lewis to anaesthetise big cats in the wild. Commenting on the partnership, David Ellerton, Managing Director of Virbac Ltd, said: “WVI teams are working hard to try to secure the future of many endangered species. We are delighted to support them.” Media vet and WVI Patron Matt Brash added: “It’s great that Virbac, one of our founding partners, has cemented its support by signing an agreement for a further three years. Thanks to the help we receive from companies like Virbac, we can continue to be the first point of call for conservation practitioners dealing with health and disease issues in the wild. Our work is helping to break new ground in conservation science – a discipline which will become increasingly important as we fight to preserve many species being pushed to the edge of extinction.” Virbac is the largest independent veterinary pharmaceutical company in the world. Founded by a veterinary surgeon, the company is dedicated to supporting the veterinary profession through the development of innovative products and services, which support their businesses and help animals lead longer, healthier lives. Wildlife Vets International was formed by a group of experienced zoo and wildlife vets in 2004. For further information on its work visit www.wildlifevetsinternational.org.

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