Register here | Book here | Prep here
If you’ve been searching online for wildlife vet opportunities to gain some in-person, practical experience, you may be restricted by the cost or quality of the options out there. For this reason, we’ve designed an exclusive package just for vets-in-training that is both affordable and of high quality. It’s built around our principles of collaboration, credibility and accessibility by connecting communities and exceptional projects and experts while not sacrificing on some of the fantastic food and accommodation that South Africa has to offer.
Dates
5 – 19 December 2021 🔒 bookings closed
19 June – 3 July 2022 🔒 bookings closed
3 – 17 July 2022 ➜ Interviews now open!
7 – 21 August 2022 ➜ Interviews now open!
Arrival
Sunday arrival into Hoedspruit Airport where you will be collected by our team (please arrive by 14:30pm on your arrival day in order to meet our transfer time).
This airport is reached via a 1 hour connecting flight from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport.
Contact us for details and coordinating flight arrivals and departures.
Costs
Starting at £150 GBP / $200 USD / *R3000 ZAR (for 2021) per day for 2 weeks
*Rate based on required South African Rand and therefore international currencies subject to change.
Your experience includes
Selecting only 8 student per two-weeks, the Wildlife Vet Experience will bring the Wildlife Vet Online course to life with a tour of projects, reserves plus wildlife vet shadowing. The experience includes the following highlights:
Dr Peter Rogers and Dr Chris Boshof 
Community Education Projects 
Nourish Eco Village 
Daktari Bush School & Wildlife Orphanage, Hoedspruit 
Hoedspruit Endandered Speices Centre 
Clinical EMS, Wildlife and Reserve Management
Inspiring project and reserve visits
Credible wildlife vets
Practical clinical EMS and AHEMS sign-offs
24 hour support crew
Professional airport pick up and drop off
Complementing activities and conservation topics
Delicious South African food
And fantastic reserve accommodation
Wildlife Vet Shadow and Reserve Management
Focus – Shadow an experienced wildlife vet
Wildlife Vet – Dr Chris Boshoff and Dr Peter Rogers (when available).
Summary – Observe / participate in clinical procedures, observe darting / capture techniques, helicopter darting (optional add-on). We aim to include the following – Assist with rehabilitation, Human-wildlife conflict, anti-poaching, and conservation techniques, Husbandry skills – handling, Husbandry skills – observation. When possible – Husbandry skills – physical exam, Husbandry skills – reproduction, Husbandry skills – routine health care.
Conservation in the community
Focus – Wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife orphanage, community education and cheetah breeding
Projects – Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre plus Daktari Bush School and Nourish
Summary – Monitoring and care of Cheetah, Wild Dogs, White Rhino, Lion, African Wild Cats, Ground Hornbills, Sable Antelope and more, feeding and assisting with or observing veterinary activities, learning about cheetah breeding, learning about hospital equipment, feeding rhinos, lions and leopard. When possible – Vaccination of cheetahs, Lime Sulphur treatment of cheetahs, Treatment of antelope for internal and external parasites. More details here.
Topics
We aim to include and allow you to sign-off the below topics. Please note that when working with wildlife, wildlife vets and wildlife conservation there are times when ethics or circumstances do not always allow schedules to run according to plan.
Clinical EMS:
Observe / participate in clinical procedures
Observe darting / capture techniques
Helicopter darting (optional add-on)
Husbandry skills:
Wildlife handling
Wildlife observation
Wildlife physical exam
Wildlife and / or captive routine health care
Wildlife conservation:
Assist with wildlife rehabilitation
Human-wildlife conflict, anti-poaching, and conservation techniques
Conservation in the community:
Wildlife education
Environmental conservation
Accommodation
(Subject to Change in 2022)
Read more about Selwane Nature Reserve, River Lodge accommodation here.
Read more about Bundox Explorer Tented Camp accommodation here.
Local Area
Find out more about the Hoedspruit area here.
How to book
1. Register here.
2. Once your initial registration has been approved you will be invited to set up an interview here.
3. Pay a deposit (£100) and processing fee (5% of total due) to secure your spot here.
4. Personalised support then follows – this includes payments plans and trip planning
Before you travel
Consult our Terms and Conditions here and also refer to Government advice and regulations around COVID (South Africa here and UK here) and prepare your Declaration for Travel if required.
The best way to prepare for this experience is to take our Wildlife Vet Online course and read about our partners.
