The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), The Royal Veterinary College and The University of Edinburgh (UoE) have been motivated to run the Interventions in Wild Animal Health Field Course (IWAH) in recognition of the need to conserve globally important biodiversity in South Asia and other biodiverse areas, which are also a hotspot for wildlife diseases and conflict. These wildlife diseases are relatively unstudied and unchecked, therefore is an important need for greater expertise in, and greater numbers of, wildlife health professionals to tackle them. Such wildlife health professionals are needed to undertake interventions in the health, welfare, and conservation of wild animals, to investigate emerging infectious diseases and to ensure human well-being.

Participants will carry out a variety of practical and theoretical work, where they are given as many chances as possible to have a hands-on learning experience. Tuition will be carried out in the field to develop skills in human-livestock wildlife conflict management, disease outbreak investigation, forensic investigation and monitoring of the health of declining species. It will include techniques for field monitoring of wildlife (using a range of techniques including animal tracks and signs, dung/pellet identification and quantification, census techniques, camera trapping, and radio telemetry), biological management, visual health monitoring of free-living animals, best practice in wild animal anaesthesia techniques, demonstration and hands-on practice, clinical examination in the field, sampling techniques for infectious disease screening, pathological examination in the field, and disease surveillance scenarios. 

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