1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and welcome to Steph 2 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:08,960 Speaker 1: I never told your production by Heart Radio. 3 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 2: And welcome to another edition of Activists around the World. 4 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 2: And today we wanted to feature a veterinarian and conservationist, 5 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 2: doctor Gladys Kalama Zigsoka. So. Doctor Kalama zig Zoca is 6 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 2: a Ugandan veterinarian who has created quite a stir in 7 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 2: the world of gorilla conservation by dedicating her life to 8 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 2: not only saving the endangered mountain gorillas of Africa, but 9 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:46,840 Speaker 2: also dedicating her life to helping humans and the gorillas 10 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 2: to coexist together, which we love. She has talked about 11 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 2: her own childhood and how she was impacted at an 12 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 2: early age in animal preservation and care. So from a 13 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 2: recent As Like Last CNN article featuring her work and life, 14 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 2: she talked about her love of animals while growing up, 15 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 2: so They're right. Growing up in political turmoil, Kalima Seksuka 16 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 2: found solace with her many household pets. Her older siblings 17 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 2: often rescued stray cats and dogs who became her companions, 18 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 2: and she decided at a very young age that she 19 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 2: wanted to be a veterinarian. It was her neighbour's pet 20 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 2: monkey Poncho that sparked her interest in primates. The mischievous 21 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 2: creature would sneak in through the window and pull the 22 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 2: dog's tail, steal food, and even plunk keys on piano. 23 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 2: As a teenager, Kulama Sugzoka joined her school's Wildlife club, 24 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 2: and in some reports it's that she actually created this club, 25 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 2: by the way. Going on and on a field trip 26 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 2: to Queen Elizabeth National Park, she saw firsthand how little 27 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 2: wildlife remained even in conservation areas. I started thinking to myself, 28 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 2: why can't I become a vet who brings back the 29 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 2: wildlife of Uganda? And after attending school at the University 30 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 2: of London Royal Veterinary College and then attending Northern Carolina 31 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 2: State University getting a master's in veterinary Medicine, she would 32 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 2: go on to earn other masters by the way, in degrees, 33 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 2: like she got a master's in business. Why not I 34 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,639 Speaker 2: love people who just keeps going on with their ventures 35 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 2: in education because I did not. Kudos to y'all. However, 36 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,119 Speaker 2: she actually started her career in wildlife conservation even earlier. 37 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 2: In nineteen eighty four, as a student she was in 38 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 2: the Jungles of Uganda in the Bewindi Impenetrable National Park 39 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,679 Speaker 2: when she first saw a mountain gorilla and it was 40 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 2: a silver back, by the way, so giant. Here's a 41 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 2: bit from the CNN article about that experience. Pushing through 42 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 2: tangled lines and roots in the thick forest, she could 43 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 2: hear bubbling waterfalls, bird squawking, and chimpanzees hooting. But gorilla, 44 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 2: she says, are silent. You don't hear them, but you 45 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 2: see their trails as you're walking Suskolama Ziska. You can 46 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 2: be looking for them, thinking will I ever see them, 47 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 2: and then suddenly they're there. Is such a magical feeling 48 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 2: sitting in a forest clearing was a silverback gorilla. When 49 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 2: I go to see these gorillas, having wanting to see 50 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 2: them for so long, suddenly this gorilla was sitting there 51 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 2: chewing on a piece of bark, and I was like wow, 52 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 2: recalls Colomba Xisoka, now fifty five. So she has talked 53 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 2: about the impact of this encounter and how this experience 54 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 2: has expanded into a lifelong career. Through the tough political times, 55 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 2: she and our family suffered quite a bit, including the 56 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 2: disappearance of her father who was a minister in the 57 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 2: administration at the time and was abducted by the overtaking 58 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 2: of the administration and the political disruption, and she was 59 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 2: never able to see him again. And with that at 60 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 2: the same time, with the revolts and a lot of 61 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 2: battles happening and fighting happening. This also including the damagage 62 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 2: and killing of wildlife animals and destroying the wildlife lands. 63 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 2: But with her help, she and many others are working 64 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 2: to preserve the endangered species, including the mountain guerrillas in 65 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 2: the land. So it was soon after she began her 66 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 2: work in the area she discovered an outbreak among the 67 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 2: gorillas that caused skin to disease that affected hair growth 68 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 2: and had like scabby skin. After consulting with the doctor 69 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 2: or physician, she figured out that the disease was very 70 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 2: similar to what humans experience with scapies, so they think 71 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 2: this is like a crossover type of disease that was 72 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:23,919 Speaker 2: contracted into the gorilla community. And with the close link 73 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 2: of human health and gorilla health, she figured out there 74 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 2: was things that need to be done and the impact 75 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:31,920 Speaker 2: of it all she actually says, and I've seen videos 76 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 2: of her saying this repeatedly. This made me realize that 77 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 2: you couldn't protect the gorillas without improving the health of 78 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 2: their human neighbors. I just watched a video of her 79 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 2: talking about the fact that other diseases like malaria was 80 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 2: also causing issues for the gorilla population as well, and 81 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 2: so her and her many others are trying to spread 82 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 2: awareness and al She helped both the human and the 83 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 2: gorilla populations, and it was because of this she began 84 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:02,040 Speaker 2: the organization Conservation through Public Health in two thousand and three. 85 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 2: So from their site ctph dot org, they write, conservation 86 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 2: is rooted in earning the support of the local communities 87 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 2: who share a backyard with some of the most biodiverse 88 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 2: wildlife in the world. Many of the most isolated and 89 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 2: impoverished families live around protected areas in Africa, their lifestyles 90 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 2: imposing an imminent threat to the survival of wildlife and 91 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:26,279 Speaker 2: habitats and eventually themselves. Land encroachment and competition for food, 92 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 2: and the spread of zoonotic disease between people, wildlife, and 93 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 2: wild stark are all grim everyday reality, and it goes on. 94 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 2: In nineteen ninety six, the first scapies outbreak in the 95 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:38,719 Speaker 2: gorillas of Bewindi Impenetrable National Park resulted in the depth 96 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 2: of an infant gorilla and the rest of the gorilla 97 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:45,599 Speaker 2: group recovered with avramectin treatment. The fatal disease was traced 98 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 2: back to the local communities living around Bewindi Impenetrable National Park. 99 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 2: A few years later, in two thousand and one and 100 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 2: two thousand and two, another scapes outbreak occurred. Fortunately there 101 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:57,039 Speaker 2: were no des because the gorillas were treated soon enough. 102 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 2: So with all of that, CTPACH is a nonprofit, non 103 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 2: governmental organization with an innovative methodology that focuses on the 104 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 2: interdependence of wildlife and human life in and around Africa's 105 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 2: protected areas. So they have three integrated strategic programs that 106 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 2: are the Gorilla Conservation one, Health and Alternative Livelihoods. So 107 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:21,359 Speaker 2: it's poverty alleviation and improving rural public health will contribute 108 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 2: to greater biodiversity, conservation and sustainable development in and around 109 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:29,040 Speaker 2: Africa's protected areas. So they did talk about those three, 110 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 2: so I kind of wanted to talk about. They also 111 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:34,480 Speaker 2: have a thing called Gorilla Conservation Coffee which you can 112 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 2: actually buy from their site, So if you want to 113 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 2: go to CDPH dot org or from Gorilla Conservation Coffee 114 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:43,159 Speaker 2: dot org and this is from that site. It says 115 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 2: Gorilla Confreservation Coffee was launched after doctor Gladys Coloma's exoca 116 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 2: visited farmers living adjacent to but when the impenetrable forests here. 117 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 2: She learned that the farmers were not being given a 118 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 2: fair price for their coffee and were struggling hard to survive, 119 00:06:57,120 --> 00:06:59,040 Speaker 2: forcing them to use a national part to meet their 120 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 2: basic family needs for food and fuel wood. So it 121 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:05,600 Speaker 2: is an enterprise that she began and they actually take 122 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 2: the profit and help split it between the families, which 123 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 2: gives them a better profit than when it was being 124 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 2: used by other companies, as well as the helping improve 125 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 2: the habitat. So it goes on to say, this helps 126 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 2: to improve the coffee quality and increase production yield. Supporting 127 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,680 Speaker 2: local farmers helps to protect the critically endangered gorillas and 128 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 2: their fragile habitat. Gorilla Conservation Coffee makes a special effort 129 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 2: to support women coffee farmers, helping to provide opportunities for 130 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:36,119 Speaker 2: women's economic empowerment, disrupt male financial dominance, and break ingrained 131 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 2: stereotypes in the communities. I feel like they just know us, 132 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 2: they're making us fall in love, So you definitely need 133 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 2: to go check that out. I will be checking that out. 134 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 2: I will be buying some coffee. You can also take 135 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 2: tours and visit the organization to learn more about what 136 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 2: they're doing. You can take it walks. I'm sure it 137 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:55,239 Speaker 2: is very protective and you have to sign some things, 138 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 2: but this is all on their site. If you want 139 00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 2: to go check it out to see what else you 140 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 2: can participate. So as you may have already guessed, Doctor 141 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 2: Colomba Sisoca has earned many awards and accolades for herself, 142 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 2: including the Leopold Award in twenty twenty, the Whitley Gold 143 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 2: Award in two thousand and nine, EarthCare Award in twenty eighteen, 144 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 2: the Edinburgh Medal twenty twenty two, BBC one hundred Women 145 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 2: in twenty twenty three, and is a National Geographic Explorer 146 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 2: officially she's actually titled that, and yes she does have 147 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 2: a book, Walking with Gorillas by doctor Gladys Colombie Zixsoca 148 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 2: with a ford from Jane Goodall. As expected of course, 149 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 2: so you should definitely go check out their site, go 150 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 2: get their coffee. They have other merch as well that 151 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 2: supports their work, and she is adamant about bringing women 152 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:48,840 Speaker 2: as part of the veterinarian world and protecting the lands because, 153 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 2: as we've talked about many a times, specifically on this segment, 154 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 2: it is many of the women marginalized people who go 155 00:08:55,480 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 2: through to protect the lands and the species, the wildlife 156 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 2: out there and the people. 157 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 1: So yeah, yes, yes, another book to add to our list. 158 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 1: Someone want us things, Yes, we'll definitely have to check 159 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 1: back in very fascinating story listeners. If you have any 160 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 1: thoughts or resources or suggestions for this segment, please let 161 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: us know. You can email us at Hello at Stuffonnever 162 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 1: Told You dot com. You can find us on blue 163 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:28,320 Speaker 1: Sky at mob Stuff podcast on Instagram and TikTok at 164 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: stuff I've Never Told You. We're also on YouTube. We 165 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: have some merchandise atcom hero and we have a book 166 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:35,320 Speaker 1: you can get where we get your books. Thanks as 167 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:38,559 Speaker 1: always too, our super producer, Christina, our executive producer and 168 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:41,440 Speaker 1: a contributor, Joey, Thank you and thanks to you for listening. 169 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 1: Stuffan Never Told You is production by Heart Radio. For 170 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 1: more podcast from my heart Radio, you can check out 171 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: the heart Radio app Apple podcasts, or where you listen 172 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:56,199 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.