OUR TEAM
Graça Oliveira was invited to join the team in 2019.
“I worked in South Africa for 6 years as a Wildlife Veterinarian. My work in SA was focused around the treatment, transportation, rehabilitation and monitoring of several wild animals species.
From African Antelopes, Buffalos, Rhinos, Giraffe, Lions through to Jackals and Hyenas."
“A big part of my daily activities in SA involved treating and caring for rhinos that have been poached, rhino calves that had lost their moms and need constant care to later be reintroduced into the wild. As well as the dehorning of rhinos in an attempt to deter poachers from catching these precious creatures
Being so focused on wildlife in general and conservation, I came to Portugal and worked with the Iberian Lynx and their reintroduction in the wild.
When the project finished I decided to go England.
Now I am here with EWV where I want to put in all my passion and experience.
Hopefully giving the knowledge and the tools to future wildlife professionals, so together we can preserve our wildlife and what comes with."
DR. GRAÇA OLIVEIRA
DR. CARLOS COSTA
Carlos Costa finished his degree in 2020 and joined our team at the end of 2022.
His curricular internship took place at Badoca Safari Park between 2018 and 2019, where he also worked as a seasonal keeper later on, writing his master's dissertation on "Comparison of growth between two giraffe neonates (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) during the first sixty days of life".
In 2021 he joined a small animal practice where he worked as a veterinary doctor, mainly focused on the component of emergencies and internal medicine of small and exotic companian amimals.
During this time he joined several online lectures (Wildlife pharmaceuticals), capture workshops and in October 2022 he volunteered at CERAS (Center for the study and recovery of wild animals) in order to learn more about veterinary medicine and conservation of native animals.
When it comes to Wildlife Medicine, Carlos has a special interest in anesthesia and reproduction of wild species.
"Reproduction and its management today, with the increasing levels of poaching, reaches values of importance for the protection and maintenance of these animals on our planet".
DR. JOÃO ALMEIDA
João Simões de Almeida, graduated in 2010 and have since been involved in wildlife veterinary work in several countries from Namibia to Angola and the Emirates as well as different European countries.In 2014 he completed the Masters in wild animal health with the Zoological society of London and the Royal veterinary college.
“Since then my work has expanded and currently I run the only wildlife veterinary unit in Mozambique supporting all protected areas and private reserves in the country. My work includes (not limited to) wildlife capture and translocation, treatment of injured and sick endangered species, immobilization for research and collaring purposes. The most common species I deal with are elephant, rhinoceros, large predators (lions, leopard, cheetah and wild dog) and several antelopes. My work in Mozambique is supported by several NGOs the main one being Saving the survivors (www.savingthesurvivors.com).”
