Wildlife, Bushmeat, and Ebola
Dr. William Karesh

About Dr. William Karesh

William B. Karesh, DVM
Director & Field Veterinarian
Department of Field Veterinary Programs
Wildlife Conservation Society
Bronx, NY

Dr. William B. Karesh is an internationally recognized expert on wildlife and conservation. Even in the war-torn Congo, when questions recently arose regarding human threats to the well being of gorillas, officials called Dr. Karesh for help. For his day job, he directs the International Field Veterinary Program for the Wildlife Conservation Society. This extraordinary program developed by Dr. Karesh, provides veterinary services all over the world for wildlife conservation projects. Tagging elephants in Cameroon is a normal business trip. Focused on helping people and animals in developing countries, Dr. Karesh has worked with thousands of animals in dozens of the most remote places on earth. He has darted rhinos and elephants in Africa, lassoed crocodiles in the Amazon, and cared for orangutans in Borneo.

Having grown up in Charleston, South Carolina, Dr. Karesh began caring for orphan wild animals at the age of seven. Following university training in behavioral ecology and veterinary medicine, he went on to gain more experience with exotic animals by working at the National Zoo, the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, the Seattle Zoo, and, most recently, the Bronx Zoo and Wildlife Conservation Society. During this time he has published over one hundred scientific articles on wildlife health and conservation issues.

Due to his distinguished standing in the international conservation arena, Dr. Karesh was recently appointed as the chairman of the Veterinary Specialist Group for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. This multi-government organization provides advice and guidance on wildlife issues to governments and private organizations around the world, a kind of U.N. for the natural world.

Warner Books published Dr. Karesh’s first book for a general audience, Appointment at the Ends of the World, in 1999. Public interest is still high, fan mail continues to arrive daily in Dr. Karesh’s office and National Public Radio repeatedly airs five Pulse of the Planet interview segments with Dr. Karesh. Appointment at the Ends of the World received excellent reviews in dozens of publications, including the New York Times, the Toronto Sun, Time, Outdoor, and Natural History. Enthusiastic media response lead to Dr. Karesh being featured on television and radio shows such as CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood and National Public Radio’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross.