Get an ultrasound unit for Tacugama chimpanzees!

My name is Dr. Izzy Hirji and I'm trying to raise money for an ultrasound machine for Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, in collaboration with the Senior Manager of Animal Health and Welfare, Dr. Alejandro Striedinger.

Tacugama is based in Freetown, Sierra Leone and cares for close to 120 orphaned chimpanzees in need of constant medical care.

We are building capacity at the sanctuary and one urgent item needed is a battery-operated ultrasound machine that is portable/wireless for use in the field where power is limited and/or unavailable. Ultrasound is useful in diagnosing any kind of abdominal disease, pneumonia, and musculoskeletal issues amongst others, but can also help identify heart disease, one of the main killers of great apes in captivity. Tacugama is also planning comprehensive health checkups for all the chimps in the near future, so having a good quality ultrasound unit during this time would be incredibly useful.

We are hoping to be able to screen all our residents regularly for heart disease as well as be able to respond in emergencies to diagnose and treat appropriately. Tacugama chimpanzees also experience a mystery neurologic and gastrointestinal syndrome recently linked to a new species of gut bacteria - and ultrasound can help us learn more about how to help the chimps when they get sick with this horrible disease.

Ultrasound units and probes are incredibly cost-prohibitive, but there are small handheld units now available for under $10,000, which is what we're hoping to raise!

As a managing consulting veterinarian, I have been working with Tacugama and helping to build up medical capacity for the last 7 years. I am travelling to Tacugama on October 16th to continue researching the mystery disease and do some training with the resident veterinarians and hoping to bring an ultrasound unit with me for the sanctuary.

I would love to raise enough money to help buy this for them and help the chimps in need!

Help me meet this goal by mid-October, and the chimps and vets will thank you greatly!!!!