April 2025: Points of VIEW Newsletter
- Courtney Krone
- Apr 25
- 3 min read
Spring is here, and so is the latest from VIEW!
We’re excited to share recent highlights from a busy start to the year, filled with impactful projects, fieldwork, and global partnerships. But first, we want to take a moment to honor someone very special.
Dr. Gretchen Kaufman, co-founder of VIEW, is retiring this year. From day one, Gretchen poured her heart into building VIEW—not just as an organization but as a global movement for wildlife health and conservation. Her leadership, vision, and tireless dedication have shaped every part of who we are.
Because of Gretchen, VIEW has grown from an idea into a thriving force for change. We simply would not be here without her. On behalf of the entire VIEW team, our board, and our supporters—thank you, Gretchen. You will be deeply missed, but your legacy will live on in everything we do.
Dr. Charline Rutagengwa during her internship at Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy—listening to a lion’s heartbeat and spending time with the resident giraffes.
Meanwhile, our East Africa Wildlife Health Program continues to grow. Dr. Charline Rutagengwa recently completed her internship at Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy and has also wrapped up the final phase of her pesticide study in collaboration with Yale. [Learn more about her research here.]
Dr. Murenzi attended a workshop on Wildlife Disease Case Definitions in Rwanda, which brought together experts from both the human and animal health sectors. The workshop aimed to develop standardized criteria for identifying and prioritizing wildlife diseases, define key surveillance indicators, and refine case definitions for high-priority conditions.
An Update on Elephants
On March 28, a devastating earthquake shook Myanmar and neighboring Thailand, resulting in a staggering toll of over 3600 lives to date. Over the past few weeks, VIEW has confirmed that our regional NGO partners are far from the epicenter and are safe and well. They also remain dedicated to carrying out our Asian elephant EEHV (elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus) surveillance project. VIEW also remains committed to providing support to our local collaborators in southeast Asia through this challenging time as recovery efforts continue in the region. Stay tuned for further updates on our regional elephant project.
At the end of March, Dr. Jenn Yu spent two weeks at Dr. Paul Ling’s EEHV Serology Lab at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, where she applied specialized serology techniques used to determine the immune status of Asian and African elephants against specific types of EEHV. This methodology will be applied to the first chapter of her PhD dissertation: EEHV serological surveillance in zoo-managed elephants in North America. Dr. Jenn’s time in Houston also just happened to coincide with The Great Elephant Migration – an outdoor art installation – passing through!
We look forward to sharing more updates with you in the months ahead. Follow us on social media to stay connected with our mission and the people making it possible!
Mark your calendars—Give Big Gallatin Valley which is happening May 1 and 2!
For the past four years, we’ve been honored to participate in this incredible community tradition and are continually overwhelmed by the support we receive each year. Your generosity helps power VIEW’s mission to protect endangered wildlife through veterinary care and conservation. Be sure to follow us on social media for updates as we get closer to this inspiring day of giving. Learn more about Give Big at www.givebiggv.org.
A Field Trip to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary
Discover how three scholarship recipients from the Samburu community gained hands-on conservation experience during a powerful visit to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary. [Read Now]
Dr. David Murenzi Gains Hands-On Experience at Wildlife Safari
Check out our latest blog highlighting Dr. David Murenzi’s hands-on training experience at Wildlife Safari, where he deepened his skills in wildlife medicine as part of VIEW’s capacity-building efforts.[Read Now]
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