In Situ Capacity Building

OVAG aims to provide expert training on relevant disease investigation techniques and an appreciation of conservation management on a global scale.

A thriving network that cuts across scientific and conservation incorporating orangutan rehabilitation centres and conservation projects, universities, Government bodies, zoos and multiple funders and supporters.

·       Successful execution of a training programme in Indonesia, Malaysia, the USA and the UK, engaging over 30 organisations and achieving 85-95% approval of participants over the last seven years.

·       Annual workshops have delivered training to approximately 150 Indonesian and Malaysian wildlife veterinarians and conservation professionals.

·       Return On Investment protocols indicate a statistically significant increase in skills and knowledge of delegates after attendance at OVAG workshops (data in prep for publication).

·       A core group of participants, originally university students or juniors in their organisations in 2009, are now moving into conservation managerial and decision making roles.

·       Multiple anecdotes from participants indicate that they feel empowered by OVAG to take the lead in their country’s wildlife health issues (i.e. they have an improved perception of control), e.g. “One of the reasons I am doing my PhD in orangutan health is because OVAG has proved we are going in the right direction and that I somehow can participate.”

·       Successful accreditation with the Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association as an official wildlife medicine CPD available in Indonesia.

Improved ease of recruitment of veterinarians for orangutan centres because candidates have heard about OVAG and feel assured that they have access to specialist support.
Veterinary staff retention at participant organisations increased from less than a year to over four years in the time since OVAG’s inception.