~Dr. Lucy

Hello.  I visited Rwanda in September (09/14 Kwitonda Group and 09/18 Umubano Group). I am going to have a table top calendar for 2009 printed with some of the pictures I took while I was there but I am having some trouble naming some of the gorillas. Could you kindly address me to somebody that could help me identify them? There are 8 or 9 pictures I need help with. The calendar is generally given away as a Christmas gift. If you wish to receive a copy please send me your snail mail address. Best regards, Claude H. Ostfeld Milan, Italy Portsmouth, NH, USA P.S: You can see some of the pictures I have taken during the past years on www.saveourscreen.com.

I really admire you and what you have achieved. I am a professional pet sitter and would like to know how can I get a autograph copy of the book to give to a client of mine. Marilyn, Palm Springs, CA

Hello, My name is Whitney and I am a teacher at a high school in North Carolina. Seniors in our school have to complete a Senior Project before they can graduate. Along with a research paper the students are required to spend 15 hours working in some way with their project. One of my students wants to do her project on panda bears (her mother was killed when she was 10 years old and her moms favorite animal was a panda bear- so my student is obsessed with panda bears). I saw that you went to school in Raleigh and I thought maybe you could give us some ideas of places in Raleigh that Lindsay could do her hours. Another teacher and I were talking and she is taking her daughters to Washington soon and said that Lindsay could ride with them if shadowing the person who takes care of the Pandas is a possibility also. I would appreciate any help you could give us. Lindsay is an honor student who is very bright and responsible and she is willing to work. Thank you for your time and have a blessed day. Whitney Wall

Dear Dr. Lucie, I am a rwandan-freshly graduated veterinarian doctor with very strong interest for wildlife deseases management and epidemiology. I just would to let you that you are an inspiration to me for being so much dedicated and passionate with the wildlife. I regularly read your blog and i learn alot from what you are doing with mountain gorillas in rwanda. Sincerely, Landry Ndriko Mayigane, DVM

Hi Dr. Spelman, I really appreciate your book.

I think it is both important and enjoyable to read. I see that you are making some appearance in DC in late September and would like to invite you to present an Author Talk and Book Signing at the Arlington Public Library in Shirlington while you are in the area. Please contact me at your earliest convenience and we can discuss further details.

All Best, Ann-Marie Dittmann Programs Associate Shirlington Library.

Lucy, I noticed your asking someone to relate their fav stories from the book. Here are mine, with the reasons/lessons learned: Thank you again for this experience. Mindy

Hondo: The challenge of a difficult patient The experience of being a young vet and the negative feelings that can come up about an animal That an animal can drastically change its behavior toward another It is possible for an animal to live a long time w/ a disease and be 'happy'.

Eel and bartender: the capability of feeling in an unlikely creature

Raising kayavak: all the many factors playing into a major medical decision in uncharted territory.

Kachina: Hope can be a seminal factor in a patient’s treatment; An exreme dose of something can be the answer. A manufacturer of animal food is not necessarily to be trusted

Limping lion: How the observations of the entire zoo staff, including maintenance people, can be critical in solving a puzzle and healing an animal.

Tracking snared elephant: The complex physical challenges of vet med for a wild animal; How devotion and perseverance can change an outcome

Baker D: The understanding that pushing a beached animal back to sea is not the answer. The complexiy and huge number of manhours involved in treating and releasing a beached animal.

Biggest lesson for me: This book should be complulsory reading for all who support aquariums and/or zoos, either as board members or as public subscribers. While not your mission, certainly, its detailed accounts of the huge number of staff hours required to maintain healthy animals- gives great understanding of the need for substantial budgets for these institutions and organizations.

Lucy, just want to thank and congratulate you on the book. I have now read it twice for myself and almost once, outloud, to my husband and ordered a gift copy for my veterinarian. Aside from it being very articulate, engrossing, and entertaining, I particularly appreciated your chapter intros, as they really helped a layperson understand the world of a zoos, their vets, staff, and animals. I only wish there had been a page with suggested related reading ( incl.professional journals, conference reports, etc.) it was fun to learn of your Brown connection;. I was class of '73 but spent my last 2 yrs at M.I.T. thank you again, Mindy

Dear Dr. Spelman, It was wonderful to come across your website and be able to catch up with what you have been doing. Congratulations on your continued success and your new book--I look forward to reading it soon. I had the honor of doing an internship under your guidance back in 1999. After a stint in private practice I am now working towards a PhD in wildlife epidemiology at UC Davis. I hope that our paths will cross again soon. Daphne Carlson Bremer, DVM, MPVM

Hello Dr. Lucy: I'm wondering if your book is readable for six graders since I will be teaching six grade language arts this year. Thanks, Pam/Shell Beach, CA www.workingvillages.org

I like your blog.

Lucy: You might remember me... I am the fellow who helps run a Wildlife Sanctuary in Costa Rica, who met you at Starbucks on the morning you left - back for Africa... You have my card. I simply wanted to share with you that I have finished the book and enjoyed every word... It is a delight to hear stories of challenge and success in conditions that are often difficult. Each of the stories has a lesson in it... for US humans... and I remembered that you talked about your next book being the link between wild animal health and human health... It struck me that first book actually is about that... i.e. a lesson in each story... E.g. the first story about Hondo talks to all of us of connection... how it sometimes takes persistance and even a bit of abuse... but in the end bonds can be formed... or Kachina - and the zealous belief of Martine to NOT put the cub down... give it a chance... a little bit longer... and again SUCCESS... and a lesson in patience... As you might have seen or heard about on TV this week... the story (on film) of two gents in the UK who rescued a baby lion cub from the pet trade... Raised in a suburban area of London until he got too big... Then they took him to Africa, taught him how to be a lion and gradually reintroduced him to the wild. Success... The best part of the story is that when they returned a year or more later to see how he was doing, he had formed his own pride, had selected a mate and was doing GREAT in the wild... The locals said that he was a WILD animal now and would not respond to them... Well, as you might imagine, not only did he recognize them... and came over and hugged them dramatically... (remember - a full grown male African lion)... but the love-fest was captured on video... He remembered... I have already followed up on the 3 leads you provided to me... IWRC (which we as an organization just joined)... IFAW and PASA... Hope you trip back to Rwanda was pleasant... I have already jumped on your blog and read about some of your current work... I am 60 this year, have retired from two professions and am so very excited about what looks like is going to be my 3rd... I need to tell you that your book, your work and the general love of animals has INSPIRED me... ed marits PS: I opened a BLOG for my trip to Costa Rica... www.costaricajungle.blogspot.com