James Watuwa is chief/head zoo veterinarian at Riyadh Zoo, where he leads a multidisciplinary team which cares for over 1,500 animals spanning 160 species. Additionally, he coordinates conservation programmes and contributes to the wider scientific and conservation community through applied research.
His experience includes work in a wide range of animal care and research roles, including as African regional shoebill stork studbook coordinator for the Pan African Association of Zoos and Aquaria (PAAZA) at Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC Zoo) in Uganda, where he also served as a senior wildlife and zoo veterinarian.
In this role, he planned and coordinated animal healthcare programmes, conducts effective quarantine procedures for the animals to ensure optimal health, and provides veterinary extension services for communities.
Watuwa co-founded the Endangered Wildlife Conservation Organization (EWCO) to drive biodiversity conservation in Uganda. Here, he led the orgaisation’s efforts to explore, document and protect the country’s most threatened species and habitats.
His research has included studying the effect of oil exploration activities on African bush elephants, also known as the African Savanna elephant.
African bush elephants are the largest living land mammals, weighing up to 7 tonnes. They travel in herds through forests, wetlands, woodlands, grasslands and agricultural areas in 37 African countries. Listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, elephants are rapidly disappearing in the wild.
Watuwa is working as a wildlife veterinarian and conservation researcher to address some of Uganda’s most pressing wildlife and conservation priorities. These include providing accurate health diagnosis, analysis and prevention strategies, leading de-snaring interventions, and offering wildlife healthcare and veterinary support in protected areas.
After studying veterinary medicine at Makerere University, he started working as a volunteer wildlife veterinarian at the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. He was later offered a job with Conservation Through Public Health, a non-profit organisation in Uganda and the US that conducts programmes to protect gorillas and other wildlife from human and livestock disease risk.