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Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Dr. Mike Cranfield, the Gorilla Doctor


On August 28, 2023, one of the most remarkable zoo veterinarians passed away in Baltimore, Maryland.  Dr. Mike Cranfield, former vet of The Baltimore Zoo, had a career spanning decades.  Some of his earliest years in the field were marked by his groundbreaking work studying assisted reproduction, embryo transfers, and cryogenics in endangered nonhuman primates, helping to pave the way for reproductive technologies that are still used to help save wildlife.  More recently, he spent decades serving as leader of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project, providing expert vet care for one of the world's rarest species (the project later expanded its purview to cover other endangered gorillas elsewhere in Africa).  Besides his scientific and veterinary accomplishments, Dr. Cranfield left behind a vast network of colleagues, students, mentees, and friends.  He will be missed.



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