Training for Wildlife Professionals in Georgia

On 16 and 17 December 2020, Sea Alarm, together with independent expert Ian Robinson and Philippe Gourlay from ONIRIS, delivered a EUROWA Veterinarian online training event to wildlife professionals in Georgia. The event was organised in coordination with bp Azerbaijan Georgia Turkey (AGTR) and aimed towards developing capacity for wildlife preparedness activities in Georgia.

Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions the event was given online, as a first step in getting Georgian wildlife professionals trained following the EUROWA qualification system. A total of 14 professionals attended the course, including 3 veterinarians from Tbilisi Zoo, 3 veterinarians from Vet Express, and 8 non-veterinarian professionals. The veterinarians were granted the EUROWA BASIC Veterinarian qualification (which covers theory only). The other attendees received a certificate of attendance.

The BASIC Veterinarian course covered topics such as the effects of oil on wildlife, the use of standard rehabilitation protocols, the essence of facilities, the purpose and use of triage criteria, veterinarian assessments and herd health care management. The course was delivered online over two mornings and included theoretical presentation, videos and interactive table top exercises.

The veterinarians will be able to upgrade to the “SPECIALIST Veterinarian” qualification as soon as in-person events can be held again in post-COVID conditions. The EUROWA SPECIALIST Veterinarian course includes a number of additional interactive table tops and practical modules, e.g. on necropsy, seabird anatomy, and debates.

Participants found the training course very useful and informative and agreed that they would very much like to continue upgrading their skills, especially with an in-person event in the future.