Vets Go Wild Program in South Africa

Name: Vets Go Wild Program in South Africa
Brand: Worldwide Experience
SKU: 32842
Rating: 5 (10 reviews)

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Location

South Africa
- Port Elizabeth

Length

2 weeks

Project Types

Climate Change Social Services Conservation Marine Conservation Environmental Conservation Reforestation Wildlife Conservation Elephant Conservation Tourism Veterinary Service

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Program Details

Language

English

Age Min.

Timeframe

Summer

Housing

Guesthouse

Groups

Small Group (1-15)

Pricing

Starting Price

3070

Price Details

12 day course includes: 3 meals a day, transport to and from Port Elizabeth airport, all fieldwork, procedures, lectures and visits to surrounding areas.
16 day courses include: The above as well as a helicopter exercise, marine component in Port Elizabeth and a day trip to Addo Elephant National Park.
Excluded: flights & travel insurance

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals Transportation Wifi

What's Not Included

Airfare Domestic Airfare SIM cards Travel Insurance Visa

Last Updated: Nov 04, 2019

Last Reviewed: Aug 27, 2019

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About Program

If you are looking for a hands-on Africa vet experience that is endorsed by universities internationally, you can join for a wildlife veterinary experience with our Vets Go Wild team led by Dr William Fowlds, a world renowned South African vet. Vets Go Wild includes game capture, translocation of game, the reintroduction of species into conservancies, diagnosis and treatment of disease, animal husbandry at the Born Free Rescue and Education Centre, predator monitoring and much more.

Our 12 or 16-day Vets Go Wild modules are aimed at students undertaking veterinary and wildlife based programs at university and qualified vets/vet nurses. The course provides training in the care of animals located on various Game Reserves in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Animals that you are likely to be working hands on with include Rhino, African Buffalo, Big Cats, Cheetah, Giraffe and more.

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Program Highlights

1. Dr William Fowlds' vet team is with the group for all activities, so a vet is always the primary facilitator
2. You receive a thorough introduction to the wildlife species of South Africa that you could potentially work on. Understanding the species and their behavioral traits is naturally critically important during game capture operations.
3. Much responsibility and decision-making transferred onto the students, real life situations!
4. The 16-day course includes a marine animal care component, and a visit to the Addo Elephant National Park, and helicopter exercise.
5. Option to apply for a practical volunteer placement with Dr Fowlds is open exclusively to Vets Go Wild participants.

Program Impact

Our courses have a large impact on the conservation of South Africa's wildlife.

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Program Reviews

5.00 Rating

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Impact 5
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Fun 4.9
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Safety 4.9

Showing 9 - 10 of 10 reviews

Vets Go Wild was the best thing I could’ve done this summer! It’s so hands on and I've learnt so much in such a short period of time! As a vet student it puts you to the test and allows you to become so much more confident in your abilities. Working along side vets at the top of their profession provides an amazing insight into the world of wildlife medicine. Each group of students is so diverse and a mixture of abilities but by the end of the trip we work as one. I’ve made friends for life all over the world and I wish I could go back and do it all over again!

I have always been one of those people who dreamed of working with African wildlife from the time I was a small child. To actually be giving an intravenous injection to a black rhinoceros or restraining a giraffe was something I could have never imagined I would get the chance to do. My experience with Worldwide Experience was unforgettable. I learned so much about the behavior, physiology, and complications of capture of wildlife. Working with Dr. Fowlds was incredible. He is so patient and calming even when he's pushing you to move faster. I really liked that we started in larger groups with lots of coaching from Dr. Fowlds for the first few immobilization before we were split into small groups and given the opportunity to think through the procedure ourselves. We had to learn what to look for in a TPR that indicated a problem was arising and what to do about it in that moment. I learned just as much from that hands on experience as I did from the lectures. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to listened to Dr. Fowlds's stories and lectures about his experiences with rhino poaching survivors and anti-poaching efforts. The rangers and volunteers were kind and extremely helpful. I learned just as much about the animals from the rangers as I did from Dr. Fowlds. Even the lodge staff made the experience memorable.

What would you improve about this program?

My only complaint was that I would have loved to have spent more time with Dr. Fowlds. I was hoping that he would be around a little more outside of formal lectures and the immobilizations. It didn't necessarily hurt my experience, but more time with him certainly would have made it even more incredible. That is the only thing I can think of that I would have changed about the whole thing.

Questions & Answers

What did you enjoy most about your Vets Go Wild experience?

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What are the requirements to apply to the program?

Hi Linda, please feel free to email us at enquiries@worldwideexperience.com if you haven't done so already, and we'll send you a comprehensive information pack. To be eligible for this project you need to be studying or qualified in Veterinary Science (includes pre-vet students, vet nurse students, vet students and qualified vets/vet nurses) and have a keen interest for conservation.

By Worldwide Experience on February 19, 2018

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

As part of our studies, we must undertake a certain number of weeks of placement. I am at an age where I am itching to travel, but my financial situation sadly doesn't agree. I thought a program abroad, working with animals (so it counted towards my total weeks of placement) sounded great!

I had attended a couple of talks by Will Fowlds previously and had seen the same course a couple of years ago on TV (Safari Vet School), so I began some research into it. This program was so highly recommended by other Vet students who all claimed that it was the best experience of their lives. I thought it would be silly to pass up this truly once in a lifetime opportunity.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

The program provider, Vets Go Wild and Worldwide Experience, provided a structured two-week experience. I just had to get my own kit together (they provided a couple of clothing items), sort my flights (they organized transport to and from the airport on their side), get suitable insurance, and organize the appropriate vaccinations.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

It was much colder than I expected! The team did warn us before we went out, but I thought, “how cold can Africa really be?” Turns out, quite cold! There were lots of early mornings when you'll need to layer up, but it does heat up during the day, especially if you're running around after animals. Just make sure you have layers you can put on/take off.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

The first thing to note is that we were kept very busy pretty much every day! Most days we had a procedure, either in the morning or afternoon, with lectures (don't worry, they were some of the most engaging lectures I've sat in!), or a game drive for the other half of the day.

As indicated in the itinerary, a couple of excursions are planned. In my case, this included trips to Born Free, a big cat rescue center, Bayworld for lectures and marine mammal dissections, and into the local town, Paterson, to meet the children.

There is time most evenings to chill out and catch some necessary sleep for the early starts!

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I didn't really have a “fear” before I arrived in South Africa. My problem became clear the first day we had a procedure. I quickly realized that the vet work out there is very different to that in the UK.

The nature of the work with wild animals means that you have to work incredibly efficiently, which I found quite difficult at first. You're put with a team of people you've known for, probably, less than 24 hours, given drugs and doses you aren't familiar with, and these need to go into an animal you've probably never learnt about!

Between that first procedure and my last, where I was in charge of the whole thing, I had lectures on the drugs, plenty of practice, lots of opportunities to ask questions, and I got to know the girls in my team really well. You learn quickly, and the Vets Go Wild team are very supportive and patient.

How did the experience change your life?

Be prepared for your life to change, not only when you are out in the bush, but when you return home. You'll suddenly have your eyes opened! I've always admired the African wildlife, but seeing the beautiful animals with your own eyes, touching them (albeit when they're unconscious), being in that amazing position where you can help them thrive... It really is magical!

It isn't all so rosy out there, though. One of the hardest lectures I had to sit through was about rhino poaching. I thought I had a quite good grasp of the situation out there, but I really had no idea. It's so much more barbaric and unfair than I could ever know. You will leave South Africa with a responsibility to protect those special animals as best as you can.

Be prepared to leave a little bit of your heart in the bush.

About Worldwide Experience

Worldwide Experience strives to conserve what man is fast destroying – our very own environment and ultimately our own planet. We are the specialists when it comes to wildlife conservation and offer scholars, students and the older generation the opportunity to work on some of the most incredible projects we are closely aligned with. Our programs...