Wynand Goosen
Vice-Chairperson
Wynand is fascinated and devoted towards understanding the epidemiology of zoonotic diseases like Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in free-ranging and captive animals with focus on improving global health. Growing up in rural Eastern-Cape, South Africa, he was always surrounded by disease management strategies in livestock and wildlife due to frequent interaction between them and with people. This inspired him to become an independent scientific leader of infectious zoonotic diseases. In 2016, he received his PhD after upgrading his MSc in 2014. During his postgraduate career (2014-2020) he published 19 peer-reviewed scientific articles (6 first author and 1 senior author) and during the COVID-19 lockdown period he submitted 9 research articles for publication (2 first author, 6 senior author and 1 co-author review). During 2019 and 2020 he was identified as one of the top 10 young researchers in SA by the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF). In 2019, he was also inaugurated into the National Geographic Society.
He is currently co-supervising 9 postgraduate students including students from other Stellenbosch University faculties and collaborating international institutions like the Livestock Institute in Kenya and University of Namibia. Till date, his research attracted public interest (News 25, Eyewitness news, The Conversation) and that of Wildlife Ranching South Africa (WRSA). He works very closely with Enzemvelo Wildlife, South African National Parks and numerous private wildlife owner and their veterinarians to test their wildlife for bTB. These animals include African buffaloes, African elephants, white- and black rhinoceros, lions, cheetahs, wild dogs and numerous other species.
ostriches, spur-thighed tortoises and their interaction with livestock, she is focused on the ecosystem balance and function and has particular interest in understanding the role that wildlife can play in the disease resilience and tolerance. As part of her commitment to wildlife conservation, she helps and builds capacities amongst students and workers in several African countries. She also serves as a member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Area (WCPA) and contributes to data update for IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) on antelopes and gazelles. Member of the WDA since 2015, she is looking to increase the representation of North Africa in the network. As a Secretary, she will be given the opportunity to increase the visibility of the WDA-Africa & Middle East in the French-speaking countries and catalyze a greater exchange of skills and experiences through this platform.
Felix Lankester
Vice-Secretary General
Felix, a veterinarian with an ecology and environmental biology PhD, is a Clinical Associate Professor at the Washington State University. Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health. Lankester is also the regional representative of Global Animal Health - Tanzania, an NGO carrying out research on infectious diseases that impact livelihoods in East Africa, and he is the Director of the Serengeti Health Initiative, an organization implementing animal disease control programs in and around the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. He is
also a co-Director of the Pandrillus Foundation – an organization implementing primate conservation projects in Nigeria and Cameroon. Broad areas of interest include global health / One Health, zoonotic diseases and wildlife conservation. Current research interests include
investigating novel methods of rabies vaccine delivery (e.g. the use of thermotolerant vaccines, incentive payment schemes and integrated mass drug delivery strategies) that, it is hoped, will play a transformative role in efforts to eliminate human rabies globally by 2030.
Eduard Roos
Chairperson
Eduard is an avid lover of the natural world and amateur wildlife photographer. He completed his BSc. Zoology at the University of Pretoria in 2013. There after he moved to the University of the Free State to complete his BSc. Hons. Zoology, studying the phylogenetic relationships of haemoparasites in the local lizard population. In 2018 he finished his PhD in Molecular Biology at Stellenbosch University where he developed a number of molecular diagnostic techniques to detect Mycobacterium bovis infection in Phacochoerus africanus (Common Warthog). Currently he is investigating anti-body cross reactivity, to develop novel reagents for the detection and characterisation of various viral diseases, such as African Swine Fever and Foot-and-Mouth disease.
Marie Petretto
Secretary General
Marie is a Wildlife Veterinarian and Conservation biologist who’s been involved in wildlife conservation and veterinary medicine since a young age. In her early carrier, she volunteered in various zoos and other wildlife centres in Europe and has been working on projects in Latin America and Southern Africa, where she gained a broad range of field skills and professional experience by working in various local teams. She graduated as a Doctor in Veterinary Sciences in France in 2006 and continued her academic education by completing a Master in Applied Behaviour Sciences and a MBA in Project Management, Wildlife specialty. She has first been working in Gabon for the Zoological Society of London (UK), focusing of the disease transmission risk between human and wild western lowland gorilla. She is currently employed by the British charity Marwell Wildlife to coordinate activities related to the management and conservation of the sahelo-saharan ecosystems in Southern Tunisia where she has been working in close collaboration with the Tunisia’s Wildlife authorities and veterinary research institutes for the past nine years. Whilst routinely monitoring antelopes,
Annie Cook
Treasurer
Annie Cook is a veterinary epidemiologist at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Her role is to investigate the epidemiology of diseases at the wildlife-domestic-human interface. She is currently conducting research on diseases transmitted to cattle from wildlife including Corridor disease from African buffalo and Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF) from wildebeest. Annie is a veterinarian and spent 8 years in clinical practice in Australia and the UK before focusing full time on research. She has a Masters in Wild Animal Health and a Masters in Public Health. Annie’s PhD research investigated the epidemiology of zoonotic diseases in slaughterhouse workers in western Kenya. Annie has been an active member of the WDA AME section since inception in 2014. First as the student representative and now as treasurer. She would like to see the section grow and become a network of specialists and resource for professionals in the region.
the One Health approach, looking at the interactions between wildlife, domestic animals, and humans to guide future conservation management of endangered species. She aims to put into practice the veterinary knowledge and experience that she has gained to not only care for wildlife and protect their habitat but to also educate others on matters concerning wildlife and ways in which they too could play a role.
Veronica Eyihuri ADETUNJI
Committee member
Veronica hails from Obangede in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. She attended Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Moor Plantation Ibadan, where she obtained National Diploma and Higher National Diploma in 1994 and 1998 respectively. She later proceeded to the University of Ibadan in 2003, where she bagged her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine as well as a Master of Veterinary Public Health in 2008 and 2010 respectively. She is currently concluding her Doctor of Philosophy degree the University of Ibadan. Dr Adetunji is a lecturer in the Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine at the University of Ibadan. She has been involved in the teaching of Wildlife and Fish Ecology, Management and Diseases to undergraduate students of Veterinary Medicine. She has a keen interest in zoo and wild animal health management and has conducted researches in these areas. Her current research is on molecular characterization of haemoparasites of chelonians and other reptiles. She is registered with Veterinary Council of Nigeria, a member of Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association, American Association of Zoo Veterinarians and Association of Exotic Mammals Veterinarians.
Shaleen Angwenyi
Student Representative
Shaleen, a veterinarian from Kenya, currently training in wildlife medicine. Her work is fueled by a genuine love for animals, knowing well that wildlife can be challenging but is a highly rewarding field. Her work experience with wildlife began as an intern at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in 2017, and later in 2019 with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), with the majority of her internship based at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Through hands-on training she has developed a skill set in wildlife immobilization, having the ability to conduct immobilization, diagnosis and treatment of several different species under the supervision of experienced KWS veterinarians.
As a young female veterinarian in a predominantly male wildlife veterinary career track, she is trailblazing the way forward for other women who follow in her footsteps. She chose to further her education by pursuing an MSc in Global Wildlife Health and Conservation at the University of Bristol as of September 2020 so as to build skills in both research methods and practical conservation techniques. She plans to work through the lens of