Rev. sci. tech. Off. int. Epiz., 2011, 30 (3), 745-753 A feasibility study for the establishment of a national wildlife health centre in Sri Lanka S. Valeix (1) , L.G.S. Lokugalappatti (2) , P. Abeynayake (2) , T. Prasad (3) , A.D.N Chandrasiri (4) , S.L.A. Daniel (5) , C. Stephen (6) & F.A. Leighton (7)* (1) VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, 1 avenue Bourgelat, 69280 Marcy L’Etoile, France** (2) Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka (3) Department of Wildlife Conservation, No. 811 A, Jayanthipura Road, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka (4) Department of Animal Production and Health, P.O. Box 13, Getambe, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (5) National Livestock Development Board, 45 Nawala Road, Narahenpita, Colombo 5, Sri Lanka (retired) (6) Centre for Coastal Health, 900 Fifth Street, Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 5S5, Canada (7) Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada * Corresponding author ** Current address: 12 route de Saint Beauzire, 63200 Ménétrol, France Submitted for publication: 15 December 2010 Accepted for publication: 8 November 2011 Summary Sri Lanka is a tropical nation within a zoogeographic zone that is at high risk for infectious disease emergence. In 2010, a study was conducted on the feasibility of enhancing capacity in Sri Lanka to manage wildlife diseases through the establishment of a national wildlife health centre. The Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre was assessed as a potential model for adaptation in Sri Lanka. Interviews and group meetings were conducted with potential key participants from the Sri Lankan Departments of Wildlife Conservation and Animal Production and Health, and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of the University of Peradeniya. In addition, site visits were made to potentially participating facilities and the literature on best practices in building scientific capacity was consulted. With strategic enhancements in education and training, additional personnel, improvements in transportation and diagnostic facilities, and central coordination, Sri Lanka appears very well positioned to establish a sustainable wildlife health centre and programme. Keywords Canada – Capacity building – Disease – Feasibility – Management – National wildlife health centre – Sri Lanka – Surveillance – Wildlife – Wildlife health. Introduction Recent experience has shown that the probability of the emergence of important human and animal diseases is highest in geographical areas characterised by large populations of people, domestic animals and wildlife, and by rapidly changing environmental conditions. Densely populated tropical and sub-tropical environments are the areas at highest risk for inter-species transmission of pathogens and the development of new, often globally distributed, diseases of socio-economic importance. Analysis has also identified pathogens in wild animals as the most important source of emerging infectious diseases (6, 15). Many of the low- and middle-income tropical countries at greatest risk from emerging diseases, due to ecological and environmental factors, also lack the internal infrastructure