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With a heavy heart and deep sadness, I share with you the loss of a shining star amongst us, Mike Cranfield. Mike died on Monday due to West Nile Virus, a zoonotic disease (an animal disease affecting humans), after being bitten by a mosquito and falling into a coma for three weeks.
Although he was new to VIEW's Scientific Advisory Council, he was one the most respected and esteemed wildlife veterinarians in conservation. Mike was the Director of Gorilla Doctors for more than twenty years, improving the survival of one of the most critically endangered species while sharing his knowledge with untold students, early-career veterinarians, and conservationists. Mike is a rare example of how conservation should work: improving the survival of a species while passing knowledge to the people who will carry on with that legacy. His dedication and success is one to emulate.
In addition to Gorilla Doctors, he was faculty at Johns Hopkins Comparative Medicine and former Director of Research and Conservation at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. There will be many tributes to Mike in the coming days, and we will share links on our website.
Dr. Mike Cranfield - third from right at VIEW 2023 Scientific Advisory Council meeting in Montana. From left to right: Dr. Raina Plowright, Josh Lichty, Dr. Lauren Ellis, Dr. Mike Cranfield, Dr. Dawn Zimmerman, and Dr. Gretchen Kaufman.