Personalized Veterinary Experience in South Africa

I loved the unpredictability of this project. The day could start at 8 am (which was the usual) or it could be in the middle of the night, at 3 am, depending on what the vet is doing. Obviously you don’t have to get up in the middle of the night if you don’t want to, but for me, that was all part of the experience. I didn’t want to miss out on anything. You can ask the vet as many questions as you like which means you can gain as much knowledge as possible. I even asked the receptionists and nurses in the clinic questions to further my knowledge as much as I could. I found just being around the practice, interacting with the patients and seeing small animal and wildlife procedures eye-opening. The highlight for me in this project was being involved in resolving some human-wildlife conflict between a leopard, her three cubs and a local community. It was so interesting to see how the vet initially responded to the situation, by contacting the village representative. He was trying to gain an understanding of the situation before putting a plan into action. There were talks of euthanasia for the animals, and this would have been the easy alternative but it was admirable to see that the vet pushed for the best approach, which turned out to be rehoming the leopard and her cubs. It was amazing to be involved in this process. It was also fascinating to witness first hand some of the struggles that conservationists and vets face in South Africa, and how they worked through the situation to ultimately gain the best for the animals and their welfare. It’s not all hard work though - the social side of the projects is amazing too! From going to the pub to have a few pints in the evening, to having a day trip out in the Kruger National Park and even swimming under a waterfall! Those are just some of the sorts of excursions that I did which were absolutely fantastic. Besides the excursions being cool, the other volunteers at the projects with me were amazing. ACE throws you into a room of like-minded individuals who are also passionate about conservation and wildlife. So regardless of whether you are going on a bush walk or going to the pub, you are going to have such a fantastic time socialising with your fellow volunteers.

My favourite thing about the veterinary experience was getting involved in the fieldwork. We got to take part in so many different procedures like drawing blood from a buffalo to test it for notifiable diseases, and we monitored the vital signs of a rhino whilst its microchip was checked and its horn was trimmed. It was just amazing to be out there experiencing things you usually only see on TV! Also, the vet experience is fully tailored to your level of confidence and ability. If you want to get involved in drawing blood or helping hold a sedated animal and the vet deems it safe, you can get a really hands-on experience. During my trip I was also fortunate enough to get to visit the Kruger National Park. It was amazing. Even the drive there was beautiful and I can’t even explain how brilliant the Kruger is. Everything I experienced here, from the amazing guide who took us, to seeing the animals in their natural habitats, is something I’ll never forget! Planning this trip through ACE was great, too. I’m the type of person who likes to know what I’m doing, when I’m doing it, how I’m getting there, and I loved that as soon as I had booked my trip the ACE team sent over my itinerary. Then you get so much more information closer to your trip too. It's super useful and I think ACE would be great for younger travellers too, whose parents want to know what they are doing and where they are going. All of the ACE staff are so knowledgeable! From the drivers in South Africa that will answer any questions you have about the scenery, culture, town and wildlife, to the people on the end of the phone who will help you in any way they can! I know I had a few concerns before booking my trip as there is so much misinformation online and you don’t want to be giving your money to unethical projects, but as soon as I spoke with the ACE staff they eased my concerns. ACE also have a really great Instagram that I would recommend you look at as you can see that there are real people at these projects. You can see all of the amazing things that they have done and it just gives you that extra sense of security. I also know that it can be scary as you are investing a lot into this, financially, but you can really see where your money is going. On top of that, the project staff are so obviously grateful to you for coming and helping out. They even go the extra mile for you. My whole experience has just been brilliant.

During my time with African Conservation Experience (ACE), I volunteered at the Shimongwe Wildlife Veterinary Experience for two weeks. Here I was able to observe and be involved with the care of a wide variety of different animals. I worked with smaller domesticated animals such as goats, dogs and cats, as well as some of the more iconic African species such as rhinos, wild dogs and buffalo. ACE tailor your trip to your level of experience and confidence which is amazing. I was able to help with the administration of medication and take samples which was a really great experience! My most memorable experience was probably working with a white rhino. I was taken aback by how big they are! We had to help this individual as they had wounds all over their body as they had been injured by a group of hyenas. We had to dart the rhino, clean the wounds, and administer antibiotics to prevent it from getting sick. It was great to be up close and personal with such a large, iconic animal. I also really enjoyed observing an arthroscopic surgery, a type of keyhole surgery, that was being carried out on a dog in the clinic. The vets had to operate to fix its broken leg. The procedure involved cutting off a small part of a bone in order to then reattach it in a way that would fix the injured leg. I’m really glad I was able to volunteer with ACE. I decided to volunteer at the Shimongwe Wildlife Veterinary Experience because I wanted more experience in a veterinary clinic and to work with different wildlife. I first found out about the project through my friend who had volunteered here. She recommended it to me, not just for the work, but also for the amazing people that she got to interact with. I think this experience has helped me with my future career! It has given me a real insight into veterinary work and the different things that the vets have to deal with. Before this trip, I was most interested in avian veterinary work and I wanted to specialise in birds, but this has really opened my eyes. It has given me a really good idea of the work that a wildlife vet does and what you can expect day-to-day. I am now super interested in following in their footsteps and becoming a wildlife vet. This experience has completely changed my life!