by Natasha Tworoski

In early September, representatives from the member organizations of the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) will meet in Zambia to share ideas and discuss strategy on how to continue to provide exceptional care to over 3,000 primates while also working to protect those in the wild. This annual conference is a crucial way for PASA members to work as a team as well as to help each organization bring back new ideas and skills to make them more effective.

Since shipping supplies internationally is highly expensive, US residents who will attend the conference are taking advantage of the opportunity to bring donations in their checked luggage. Just some of the donations we have received so far include bottles to feed baby monkeys, needles and syringes for administering medications, equipment used to run blood tests to check for disease and face masks to protect medical staff treating these close relatives of humans, who are susceptible to many of the same diseases that we are.

Worldwide Veterinary Service, Project VETS, International Veterinary Care, Inc. and Lion Country Safari generously contributed medical supplies that PASA member sanctuaries urgently need.

Based in Colorado, Project VETS collects medical supplies and equipment from veterinary clinics, human hospitals, manufacturers and non-profits to disperse to different non-profit animal welfare groups worldwide. Sometimes these are supplies that would otherwise not be used, preventing them from being wasted. The last thing our planet needs is more trash in landfills! Domestic or wild, local or abroad, Project VETS are generously helping the planet’s animals have healthier, happier lives. Check them out!

Developed countries such as the United States are incredibly fortunate to have the means to keep state-of-the-art equipment and materials in their veterinary clinics. In impoverished areas of the world, organizations such as PASA member wildlife sanctuaries work with much, much less. By collecting equipment and supplies that clinics here consider dated and distributing them abroad, the gap is bridged and animals around the world benefit greatly. Collecting medical supplies from across the United States, International Veterinary Care, Inc. helps to reduce the massive waste from discarded medical supplies and provide vital support for animals across the planet at the same time. We’re extremely grateful for IVC’s generous contributions to PASA sanctuaries. Read about their accomplishments.

Worldwide Veterinary Service, based in the U.K., was founded in 2003 and supports animal welfare causes globally by sending medical staff to remote locations, donating supplies and training new vet staff. Every year this organization helps 150,000 animals, deploys 100 teams for emergency response aid and trains 500 veterinarians to help them be prepared at a moment’s notice. Learn what else they’re accomplishing.

Lion Country Safari is an American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited facility in Florida that displays 900 animals in a 600 acre safari-style park. In operation for fifty years, Lion Country Safari is passionate about conservation, both locally and worldwide, and provides grants to help make PASA’s projects possible. The staff of Lion Country Safari’s veterinary clinic assembled a big box of supplies for PASA member wildlife centers in Africa. Learn more about their conservation work.

Thanks again to our generous partners: Worldwide Veterinary Service, Project VETS, International Veterinary Care Inc. and Lion Country Safari! We couldn’t do it without you!

If you would like to be a part of this great cause and help give orphaned and injured primates a second chance, please donate today! Even small donations can go a long way in buying crucial medical supplies. If you happen to see someone in an airport in September struggling with a lot of luggage, please help them out – it very well may be a PASA volunteer with donations!