27/08/2026
๐ฆ WHOโS WHO WEDNESDAYS
Meet our keynote speaker: Dr Liza Dadone
The International Giraffe Symposium 2026 is honoured to welcome Dr Liza Dadone, an internationally renowned zoo and wildlife veterinarian whose career has been dedicated to advancing giraffe medicine, conservation health, and evidence-based wildlife management.
With more than two decades of experience in clinical veterinary medicine, research, conservation programmes, and international training, Dr Dadone is widely recognised as one of the worldโs leading experts in giraffe health and veterinary care.
As the Founder and Principal Consultant of Giraffe Veterinary Services and Head Veterinarian for Save Giraffes Now, she leads initiatives aimed at improving giraffe welfare, reducing mortality, and integrating veterinary science into global conservation strategies. Her work spans both managed and free-ranging giraffe populations and supports conservation programmes across Africa and internationally.
Dr Dadoneโs specialist expertise includes:
๐ฉบ Giraffe immobilisation and anaesthesia
๐ฆถ Lameness, foot health, and distal limb disease
๐ฌ Mortality investigations and disease management
๐ผ Reproductive and neonatal care
๐ Transport and translocation risk mitigation
๐ Conservation health and population management
Her extensive field experience includes conservation and translocation projects in Uganda, Kenya, Niger, Botswana, Ecuador, and Colombia. Through these initiatives, she has collaborated with governments, NGOs, veterinarians, and wildlife professionals to strengthen health monitoring and improve population-management outcomes.
An accomplished educator and international trainer, Dr Dadone regularly presents veterinary courses and workshops on giraffe medicine, anaesthesia, emergency response, immobilisation, and hoofstock management. She also serves as a Veterinary Advisor to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Giraffe Programs and is a member of the IUCN SSC Giraffe & Okapi Specialist Group.
Her scientific contributions include influential publications on giraffe pathology, lameness, mortality, anaesthesia, and conservation medicine, as well as contributions to Fowlerโs Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine.
We look forward to welcoming Dr Dadone to the International Giraffe Symposium 2026, where she will share her exceptional knowledge of giraffe veterinary medicine, conservation health, and welfare-centred management.
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**1โ3 December 2026**
๐ **University of the Free State and Amanzi Private Game Reserve, South Africa**
๐ **Learn more and register:** [https://giraffe.symposium.org.za/]
