James Watuwa is a senior wildlife and zoo veterinarian at the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre. He is also a co-founder of the Endangered Wildlife Conservation Organization (EWCO). 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.
Watuwa leads EWCO’s efforts to explore, document and protect Uganda’s most threatened species and habitats. He is particularly interested in mammal conservation and priority setting for biodiversity conservation. At the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre, Watuwa plans and coordinates animal healthcare programmes, conducts effective quarantine procedures for the animals to ensure optimal health, and provides veterinary extension services for communities.
He is 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.