The pre-vet course delivers work experience like no other, and aims to give you an edge over other applicants in several aspects. From observing vet work up close to advice on writing your personal statements, to post-morteming a waterbuck and practising interviews, we try to help you stand out and make your application as strong as possible! With a current vet student and Shamwari Conservation Experience rangers always on hand to help, shadowing Shamwari’s very own highly respected wildlife vet Dr. Johan Joubert, and vet nurse Megan Sinclair, was an unbelievable learning experience for the students! To watch the students develop over the two weeks and see their confidence grow was so rewarding, and I have no doubt they will all be very successful in their chosen fields of veterinary work!

We caught up with our pre-vets six months on to see how they’re getting on:

Max:
‘The pre vet course was incredible. The activities we got to participate in were well beyond what I expected. As well as being significantly more hands on than I anticipated, such as a post-mortem on our first day! If you have any doubts about the pre vet course, you will not be disappointed. Since doing the course I have found it to be a good gateway to work placements and a hot topic during interviews. The course was worth every penny in my opinion and a great investment.’
Dominic:
‘I applied to vet school in October at Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cambridge and Liverpool, and have recently received offers from Liverpool, Glasgow and Cambridge and have an interview at Edinburgh in March! I am really looking forward to it, and despite me already knowing veterinary was for me, the Pre-Vet course was a real eye-opener to the various work you can find yourself doing as a vet. Not only is it something great to talk about at interview, it’s also an experience like no other. I had no idea how hands-on it would be; helping move lions, zebras, a rhino and doing a post-mortem to name a few! I’m actually going back to SA this Christmas (and Namibia), I already know how much I will enjoy it. If you’re a bit worried that it’s not totally relevant to the UK curriculum, there’s plenty of lectures and demos on subjects such as farm animals, anaesthesia and suturing, so you can definitely relate it all to life back home. Hopefully I can do the vet course at Shamwari when I’m at uni!’

Shalini:
‘On my journey to becoming a veterinarian, I wanted to gain experience working with exotic wildlife. After much research on different programs, I found the Shamwari Pre-veterinary and Veterinary Eco program. It was the best decision I could have made! The Pre-Vet program was extremely informative. With the help of a current vet student who previously spent time on the reserve, we partook in activities that would give us an edge over other Pre-Vet students. We practiced suturing techniques, as well as getting help with our personal statements. Every day on the reserve was an opportunity to learn something new, from which sedation drugs to use on different species, monitoring and tracking animals, to assisting with necropsies. I have recently been accepted to the Atlantic Veterinary College at Prince Edward Island for the DVM class of 2021. I believe that my experience at Shamwari Game Reserve gave me an edge over other applicants and strengthened my application. I would do it again in a heartbeat!’

Amy-Clare:
‘I’d already applied to vet school in South Africa, to become a vet nurse, before joining the pre-vet course. I thought the experience and knowledge gained from my two weeks would help boost my application. I recently found out I was accepted and I really feel my time at Shamwari helped make that happen as it gave a boost to my application. I absolutely loved and valued my time at Shamwari, it was honestly the best experience of my life and I’d do it again in a heartbeat! I learned so much about being a vet, more specifically a wildlife vet, but the skills and technique are mostly the same. I thoroughly enjoyed the practical learning parts of the course. Learning how to suture on rubber examination gloves stuffed with cotton wool and how to bandage a paw, demonstrated on a toy lion and then being practiced on a member of the pre-vet team, were highly enjoyable and well informed. Being in the field and working side-by-side with head vet Johan Joubert and vet nurse Megan Sinclair was exceptionally special. Getting involved when we were needed and stepping back to observe when we weren’t. My knowledge of veterinary life grew and I realized my capabilities and boundaries that I’d have to overcome. I would recommend this course to everyone, not even specifically people wanting to be a vet but to anyone with a passion for animals. The pre-vet course widens your view of animals and about the goings on in a game reserve. Thank you Shamwari for the most incredible time!’

Alyssa:
‘I have yet to apply to vet school but Iwill be starting the application process very soon. I feel as though the pre vet program will help my application stand out from the rest. This program has helped me greatly to learn valuable skills and information that I wouldn’t be able to gain from anywhere else. This program has confirmed my aspiration to become a veterinarian and attend grad school in the US. I can’t wait to visit South Africa again in the near future!’

Kristen:
‘It has been six months since my adventure at Shamwari game reserve and to this day I still enjoy telling my friends and family about it. A little bit of Shamwari mud left on my suitcase, I left there with both physical and mental souvenirs that will be valuable to me for the rest of my life. Having worked mostly in marine conservation since I was thirteen, this experience was a marvellous opportunity to indulge another dream of mine, to study veterinary. I had the opportunity to visit Shamwari as a guest when I was 6 years old and it was so nice to get to come back and see exactly how the game reserve is run and meeting all the lovely people who care for, and are so passionate about, Shamwari’s animals. Between helping load male zebras that are on their way to a new game reserve, watching a mother cheetah and her cub cuddle in the rain, helping apply antibiotic spray to a rhino’s foot and learning how to suture on rubber gloves, my Shamwari experience was so magical and has helped me to gain so much experience not only with animals but when applying to university as well. I have been accepted to study a veterinary physiotherapy degree at Equine-Librium College in Plettenburg Bay, South Africa and will start in February of this year. I am extremely excited. Shamwari helped me discover a new passion and a career path and left me with memories that I will never stop talking about. For anyone considering this course, DO IT! It is worth its weight in gold and between meeting passionate people, helping animals and going on game drives, you will not be disappointed. Thank you to Erin Thompson for being a fantastic mentor and listening to my all my questions and a thank you to Chanel Carlson and Konrad Muller for making us students feel so at home and for sharing all your knowledge. It was a truly marvellous experience truly marvellous experience. ‘

If you think the pre-vet course could be for you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch for more information! We would love to hear from you and are happy to answer any questions!

Erin Thomson
5th Year
Glasgow Vet School, UK

info@gapafricaprojects.com

To conclude the fantastic trend we’ve experienced, we had yet another amazing week, although this one is shorter because we are ending on Friday. We started the week treating and moving 9 buffalo, which took up almost all of Monday. After darting the buffalo, Vivek and I were responsible for all injections, including reversal of the animals when all work was complete. To move the buffalo, each one had to be placed on a mat that would the be raised onto a pick up truck that has a crane attached to it. Vivek and I would have to ride in the back of the pick up with the animal (something we have done a lot of this week!) to ensure the respiration rate never dropped below 12 breaths per minute. Aside from a minor disagreement between 2 of the relocated bulls, everything went smoothly and we had done all 9 animals just before sunset. Normally we would end the day at or before sunset, but concern for the elephant cow with Herpes virus was growing, and an emergency visit was required. It was dark by the time we reached her, and Dr. Burger was concerned about working on her so late, especially because it takes time for the sedatives to take effect for us to be able to do anything. After hearing  Dr. Burger’s concerns, Vivek came up with the brilliant idea to use local sedation on the elephant’s hind limbs, the area of most concern for Dr. Burger. The local sedation worked perfectly, and we were done the treatment within 30 minutes, allowing us time to get home for dinner, and the cow time to relax for the evening.

On Tuesday we had to go to an appointment in the Eastern Cape province, which was about a 5 hr drive from where we were in the Western Cape. The clients there also needed some animals treated and moved, similar to our appointment on Monday, but different animals. Waiting for us upon our arrival was a few pick up trucks to help with the work and a helicopter. Since we would be working over a couple hundred hectares, and on a mountain range, Dr. Burger had the exciting task of darting the animals from a helicopter, at which point the helicopter would hover over the sedated animal and we would rush over in a pick-up truck. Vivek and I were responsible for the ground work, which involved treatments, helping to move the animals, and reversal. By the end of the day, we had worked on 2 Lechwe and 2 Kudus. We had also planned to work on some Elands but nobody was able to spot them from the helicopter. We spent the night at the farm on Tuesday night and continued our work with the same clients on another part of their property on Wednesday. Since the other spot was a bit further to get to, the helicopter pilot helped us save some time by doing a couple trips to fly us all over (an exciting first helicopter ride for both myself and Vivek!). We spent most of Wednesday taking care of the ground work while Dr. Burger spent his time in the air finding and darting the animals that needed to be treated. After working on 10 Wildebeest we ended the day with 1 pregnant Blesbok and then drove back to the Western Cape in the dark.

Dr. Burger had scheduled another appointment for some helicopter work on Thursday, but there were some problems with the pilot so we had to reschedule our plans for the day. Dr. Burger took us out in the afternoon to see his taxidermy facility. While there, I helped Dr. Burger perform a post-mortem on a dead bontebok and we found some interesting lung lesions. The bontebok are an endangered species, so it’s important for the farmer to identify any problems quickly. Dr. Burger is suspecting lung worm in that animal, but we took some biopsies and lymph nodes so we are still waiting to hear about those!

Friday was our last day working with Dr. Burger. We started the day doing the helicopter work we had planned for Thursday with some Bontebok. Once again Vivek and I were responsible for the ground work while Dr. Burger darted from the helicopter. We also had to transport the animals, which meant that Vivek, Suzahn (Dr. Burger’s assistant) and I had to stay with the animals in the back of a truck, keeping them upright and checking their breathing, keeping our butorphanol prepared should one of them stop breathing. Since the Bontebok are a protected species and are on the CITES list (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) we were accompanied by government officials who were responsible for ensuring that we followed regulations and for collecting the blood and hair samples that we took. They placed the samples in sealed forensic bags for transport to their laboratory to ensure that there would be no tampering with the samples. They also checked the placement of the microchip with their scanner after we microchipped the animals. We’re lucky Dr. Burger has entrusted us with so much responsibility in such a short amount of time! After completing the work at the first farm, the helicopter pilot offered to take Vivek and myself back to Mossel Bay area, where Suzahn and Dr. Burger would drive to meet us. We enjoyed the stunning views on another helicopter ride, this one being about half an hour. Approaching the ocean on a helicopter was pretty spectacular! We then went to visit the elephant, as I mentioned earlier. We noticed she was having some tetanic seizures, and after some investigative detective work to where she grazes, Dr. Burger noticed a plant called Cynanchum ellipticum in the area. That plant is very poisonous, and carries a serious neurotoxin so we immediately alerted the staff and told them to keep her away from those plants. It was a good thing we found it early enough! That concluded our work with Dr. Burger. We have had an amazing time here in South Africa, and have learned a ton about wildlife, veterinary medicine, field work, and so much more! I would not hesitate to recommend this Wildlife Veterinary course to anyone looking to pursue it as a career! Dr. Burger has been an amazing teacher and we hope to return to work with him again some day soon!

The next morning we went straight to visit the elephant so that we would still have time to go treat a buffalo suffering from lumpy jaw. It took about half an hour to properly sedate the elephant cow so that she was comfortable and calm in a standing sedation. Her young calf playfully approached us because we had brought in some oral treatments for the cow that he was eager to try out. Dr. Burger took some biopsies from her feet and examined the rest of her body, finding similar skin lesions on the back of both her ears. The keepers began to worry that she was too sedate because she was resting her tusks on the enclosure bars, which could cause them to break, so we reversed the sedation and monitored her for a while before leaving. We then went to the veterinarian’s house to wait for the winds where the buffalo with lumpy jaw was to calm down. We killed time there by learning how to aim and fire his dart gun. At around 3 pm Dr. Burger told us we wouldn’t be able to visit the buffalo because of the strong winds. Some things that limit how much we get to do each day include the weather (it is winter here right now) and the distance between each case (we usually drive over an hour to get to each location), although the winter is the busiest season for wildlife vets here.

On Wednesday we spent the day darting and treating buffalo on a farm about 2 hours away from the house. The experience was amazing because we got to administer different treatments on the buffalo, learn how to accurately measure their horns, and perform rectal palpations to pregnancy check the females. The appointment took a long time and we were exhausted by the end of it!

The weather on Thursday was bad again, so Dr. Burger planned some touristy activities for us to enjoy including visiting meerkats in their natural habitat during sunrise and a behind-the-scenes tour of a wildlife ranch.
On Friday we went to a beautiful game farm to treat and move some of the farmer’s young impala and Nyala antelope. We began with the impala and got two done before they got too nervous for us to get close enough to dart them. The Nyala bull was a more difficult experience because he got very spooked after getting darted and went towards a bushy hill. He only made it part way down before 6 of us grabbed him, blindfolded him, and carried him up the hill to the pick-up truck. We were able to quickly move him after that and then reverse the sedation. Darting and treating one animal takes a long time, and it becomes crucial immediately after darting to closely monitor respiration rate. It took hours before we had done 3 animals, we had tried and missed a few more, and gave up deciding to come back next week to finish the job.

As dusk approached, we went to visit the elephant and provide an oral immune stimulant for her because Dr. Burger is now suspecting elephant herpesvirus. Her lesions seem to be spreading – there are a few around her flank region that weren’t there before.
 On Saturday Dr. Burger offered to take us to his farm for the weekend… I feel I should elaborate on that a bit.. When people say ‘farm’ or ‘ranch’ around here, they are generally referring to a large plot of land, usually a few hundred hectares big, that is spread over a few mountain ranges, where they keep their private giraffe, zebra, antelope, ostrich, etc. Dr. Burger’s farm was no different. Before going there, we decided to detour a bit to visit a private wildlife reserve (that is about the size of Singapore) to treat a new addition to the reserve – a caracal suffering from a facial abscess. Our work with the caracal went smoothly and within an hour or so we were done and enjoying coffee with some of the reserve employees that live there. One of Dr. Burger’s friends, and the chief game ranger at the reserve agreed to take us out on a game drive. We drove into the reserve for a while before parking to try to track some elephants on foot. Along the way, we found the tracks of many other animals that live at the reserve.

There is a certain thrill, almost an uneasy-yet-excited feeling, that rushes through your body as you follow the the tracks of a male lion in his natural habitat, or put both feet in the same spot as an elephant that you know is not too far ahead of you. It wasn’t long before the fresh elephant tracks led us to a breeding herd that lives on the reserve. We watched them from the bushes for a while, staying downwind and silent as we followed them, to ensure our presence remained undetected. Soon after, we spotted 3 white rhinos off to the side of the elephants, so we stayed with them until they decided to take a nap, their large bodies quickly becoming completely hidden in the thick brush. The cold air and rain that had suddenly taken over the otherwise cool-yet-comfortable weather sent us back to the car faster than the thought of the white lions stalking us ever would have, and we continued our wildlife hunt en route back to the exit, spotting cheetah, zebras, a brown hyena, and other animals along the way. On Sunday, we got to continue our game drive on Dr. Burgers farm. First we went for a walk, coming across a fresh impala kill surrounded by leopard feces and tracks. Even though it was a cold winter day, we were able to find tons of antelope, zebra, giraffes, and a few ostriches on the farm. What an amazing end to an incredible week! Waking up in that environment was surreal.

Our work this week with Dr. Burger has completely changed both our perspectives on wildlife veterinary work and given us a very personal, in-depth understanding of wildlife in South Africa. Dr. Burger is an intelligent and well-respected man that had been answering all our questions and is constantly starting meaningful discussions with us. We couldn’t have asked for a better teacher for our wildlife veterinary experience. We are really looking forward to what the next week has to bring, but are regretting that this will be the last week of our Global Vets trip! -Noreen and Vivek

1.Translocate a Hippo

This hippo was being badly bullied within the social circle it was in and had hid far from water out of its normal habitat, it was darted and relocated to a new reserve to join in with a new group of Hippos! Here the student is learning how to deliver an intra muscular injection of antibiotics so the dart wound doesn’t get infected.

2. Release a new Cheetah onto the reserve

Our volunteers were involved in moving and releasing this new cheetah onto the reserve in the hope she will go onto breed and increase the genetic pool on this reserve.

3. Help dart a Lion and fit a contraceptive implant

There was a male lion nearby this female and we did not want them to breed so we inserted a hormonal implant into her leg so she would not be able to get pregnant, despite Mr Lions best efforts!

4. Learn how to load a dart

The students get to learn about all the different drugs used in wildlife and how we use these in darts to deliver them into the animal safely. The drugs are very dangerous to humans – but don’t worry the students only use water to practice loading them!

5. Chase Ostrich through a mass capture system

Some species can be caught in big numbers instead of just darting individual animals at a time – this includes ostrich! It can be very dangerous but also a lot of fun! Once you have run the ostrich into the system it becomes narrower and narrower until a corridor which leads onto a game truck that can take the ostrich to a new home.

6. Make a difference in the local community on the Local Outreach day

We take the pre vet students into the local town ship and give them the opportunity to make a real difference within our domestic species. Vaccinating, de worming and flea treating dogs. This not only improves animal welfare for these individual dogs and cats but helps human health by reducing zoonotic diseases (diseases spread easily between humans and animals) in particular we vaccinate against rabies.

7. Catching Antelope

Catch various smaller antelope species in a net system and catch them and carry them onto the game truck where they are injected with a mild tranquilliser to keep them calm on their journey to their new home.

8. Learn how to do an Intra venous injection…. On an Eland!

The largest antelope species in the world. Here our pre vet student did an excellent job of her first IV! How cool to say you learnt on this amazing species.

9. Blindfold a Hartebeest

When animals are darted for translocation you have to keep them as calm as possible – this is very much helped by blindfolding them and plugging their ears so they cant see or hear any of the scary things going on around them.

10. Carry out a Post Mortem on a species from the African bush

Here our students are learning why this Nyala died. This really helps wildlife vets understand what diseases are spreading throughout populations and what they need to focus their efforts into controlling.

10 days ago, when I arrived in Port Elizabeth Airport after a 24 hour journey, I never thought that I’d have held down a semi-awake impala by the horns for translocation, learnt to use a dart gun, been kicked in the knee by a waterbuck, done a pregnancy check on a buffalo, and shot a semi-automatic rifle, to name but a few mind blowing experiences.

These last two weeks have not only met my expectations – they have knocked them out of the park. I had no idea just how hands-on we would be, and how much time we would get to spend behind the scenes with the incredible staff here at Shamwari. Not only have we been able to get fully involved with the veterinary work here, we have been trusted to work independently at times. Being in my gap year, I was worried that the Vet Eco Experience would be too advanced for me, having not yet started my veterinary studies. But this was not the case – the other students and the staff here have been so patient, and have taught me so much. I’m so glad I decided to do this programme, and hope to come back again when I am further into my studies.

The veterinary work kicked off in the first week when Johan, the Shamwari Vet, darted several buffalo to carry out TB checks. I had expected to stand and observe the veterinary work, but I was soon handed a wake up injection, and told to give it IM. It was a terrifying experience at first, as I was standing next to this huge wild buffalo, just praying that I wouldn’t somehow kill it by injecting it in the wrong way. I’ve now realised though, having done it many times over the last two weeks on various animals, that if you’re doing something wrong, Johan or other staff will soon tell you, it’s just important to get stuck in and give it a go! At the end of the first week we were given the task of relocating a blesbok, riding in the truck with the animal while it was translocated to the North of the reserve – quite a scary experience when it’s half-awake. So we all went into the back of the truck and clung onto its horns for dear life for the 40 minute drive through the freezing cold reserve. Although cold, it was an exhilarating experience, and it felt awesome to be trusted by the staff with this wild animal.

Unbeknown to us at the time, we would get to re-experience this about 15 times on Monday and Tuesday of the second week, when some impala and waterbuck had to be darted and re-located to another game reserve. However it was even better this time – firstly because it was a lot warmer, and secondly because we were given the freedom to take the animals alone into the truck, and as a student team give the correct wake up drugs and tranquilizers (of course after being taught by darting specialist vet Murray). There were a few hairy moments with the waterbucks waking up, kicking and thrashing their horns around, but nobody got hurt (except for a few bruises), and all animals were safely relocated to a game reserve near Grahamstown. It was awesome to work alongside the amazing vets Murray and Johan, and to be so close and hands-on with wild animals.

Later in the week, we had the opportunity to go to the local township to run a dog and cat clinic under the guidance of expert Shamwari veterinary nurse Megan. This was a very eye-opening experience, and I learnt a lot. We spent the morning giving dogs and cats vaccinations, worming tablets, spraying them for ticks, and giving the owners a bag of free food. It was very rewarding, and there were loads of cute puppies which was an added bonus. It was awesome to get this opportunity, and it was also amazing to see how much Shamwari is respected within the local community. However it wasn’t all veterinary work – we have had some absolutely incredible and varied experiences. These experiences, and the veterinary work we have been able to do, can be attributed to the amazing Konrad and Charlotte, who work tirelessly to ensure that all students have an amazing time. Konrad managed to find us a pride of lions almost everyday, and enabled us to get a rare sighting of a female leopard, as well as a cheetah mom and her cubs. He also managed to ‘call’ a hippo, and get it to belly flop into a pond, wow. The constant humour of Charlotte and Konrad, and the general banter of the group have made the experience that much better. I have honestly had the time of my life, and have learnt and experienced so much. I look forward to returning in the future, and recommend this program to anyone looking for an incredible experience!

To find out how you can go on one of our amazing Vet Eco Experiences please visit the project page here.

16th June

After been involved in moving Jerry the lion between Born Free centres last week, we had a behind the scenes tour of the southern centre this morning. Although it was nice to see the animals close up with a much better lifestyle than those they had previously, the lasting effects of their upbringing prior to coming to Born Free were evident. In particular, a lion and lioness that had been fed inappropriately while being kept as pets were far smaller than their wild counterparts due to their juvenile malnourishment. The lioness also moved very awkwardly as a result of the effect on her bones. While it was heartbreaking to watch, we could only be relieved that they were now in a much better environment.

All of the cats at the centre have had associations with humans in their past through routes such as the pet or circus trade which ultimately makes them unsuitable candidates for re-release. However, the Born Free Foundation do the best they can for these animals and give them as normal a life as possible without living in the wild.

We spent the afternoon at Shamwari’s rehabilitation centre, learning the stories of the patients and giving their evening feeds. We again visited ‘Hope’ the rhino who had been victim to a poaching attack and discussed her treatment.

17th June

After our taste of helping in the community last week at the school, today we went into the same township to run a clinic for the local dogs. The aim was to provide basic health checks, vaccinations for common diseases in dogs including rabies and flea treatment. We were also prepared to euthanise any severely ill or unwanted dogs.

After a slow start, we were inundated with local dogs and quickly found a rhythm in order to systematically examine, inject and flea spray them. The language barrier and the unpredictable nature of the dogs presented quite a challenge, but we adapted with translation from the Shamwari staff, miming and makeshift muzzles.

Although prepared for the emotional strain, it was difficult when several puppies were brought in unwanted, and so had to be put to sleep. Unfortunately, in communities such as this, rehoming is not appropriate, as there is already a big population problem in the township. We had to accept the situation and get on with it as much as possible, as sad as it may be.

After a very busy morning, we felt contented that we’d helped the community. We had managed to treat over 130 dogs (and a few cats that had been brought along too). While emotional at times, it was extremely rewarding and we felt the day had been a success. I hope that Shamwari will continue to provide these clinics in the future.

18th June

Understanding the ecological background of a reserve and the behaviour of the wild species is vital in order to apply the correct veterinary course of action. One of the ecologists from the reserve talked us through important ecological concepts this morning to help us grasp a better idea of their importance and relation to veterinary work.

Putting this into practice, we then saw to a sable bull that was darted in order to measure his horns to determine the value of his offspring. Once the quick task was completed, Kaitlyn and Sophie administered the antidote for the sedation, and we jumped back into the truck to monitor his recovery. This was followed by a talk given by Johan, the vet, on common diseases seen in wildlife and how they are (or in some cases can’t be) managed on a reserve.

Our afternoon was spent handling snakes that had been brought in by a local expert, who gave us some great hints and tips on what to do if a reptile comes through the practice doors.

This evening, we drove around the reserve on night patrol, spotting animals by their eye reflections in our spotlights. We saw animals we’d seen during the day, plus a few nocturnal ones such as the spring hare and dwarf antelope.

19th June

The wildlife manager gave a talk this morning which summarised much of what we’d learned over the past couple of weeks. Wildlife management encompasses a whole spectrum of factors from fencing and road maintenance to maintaining a predator-prey balance. The right management makes a huge difference to wildlife veterinary, as was demonstrated by a couple of videos showing game capture gone wrong.

We then took a closer looks at some of the different types of boma (enclosure) used on the reserve for game capture, including one used for hippos, which we hadn’t seen in use. The differences between each type were highlighted, relating specifically for which animal they were designed to hold and, in some cases, the measures taken to ensure the wrong animals don’t wander in.

After a short break, we spent a long afternoon game drive continuing our search for Sandile, the infamous leopard who had evaded us so far. During the drive, we spotted many of the species we’d seen already but also came close to two cheetah who were enjoying the sun. With the help of the telemetry equipment, and one of the reserve’s ecologists, persistence paid off (around 9 hours across 3 attempts of tracking) and we  finally caught a glimpse of Sandile on the other side the valley. To our astonishment, she came through the thicket towards us and after adjusting our position, we managed to see her up close in all her beauty. It was a privilege to have finally seen the elusive cat on our last afternoon at Shamwari.

I think I speak for the entire group when I say that I’ve had a fantastic time at Shamwari. It’s been incredible to work so closely with such a variety of stunning animals, and the opportunities for practical work and gaining a greater understanding of wildlife veterinary and conservation have been excellent. Thanks to everyone at Shamwari and Gap Africa for such a wonderful experience.

 9th June
We were warned that plans change fast, and so we were thrown in at the deep end on our first full day at Shamwari when a male lion needed relocating from the North Born Free Centre to the Southern one (Shamwari is home to both of these sites of the Born Free Foundation). Having had no wild animal pharmacology lectures at Shamwari by this time, we had a crash course in anaesthetic drugs used for big cats, by way of a brief discussion of the drugs that would be used for the procedure.

Before we knew it the lion was darted and having waited for the sedation to take effect, we were in the enclosure lifting the lion onto a stretcher and performing health checks. Everyone got involved whether it was lifting (which required all of us and then some), or part of the monitoring. Heather kept an eye on respiration rate, while Erin trimmed claws and checked for in-growing claws and Alison and Sophie measured the lion’s girth. I took blood samples for a health screen. We then lifted the stretcher into the transport box on the truck, where Megan then reversed the sedation.

We raced across the reserve to meet the lion at his new home, and watched the release into the enclosure, followed by the nearby lionesses tentatively nearing the enclosure to investigate the new addition that will join them in the next couple of days.

Our afternoon consisted of visiting a sable with a prosthetic leg. She had outgrown her current prosthesis and so we needed to measure her growth and make a cast to send off to the veterinary university in Johannesburg for them to produce a new, better fitting one. This also required darting the animal with sedation. After lifting her onto a table for the casting for which Lucy got her hands dirty, we realised she needed her claws clipping, which Hannah assisted with.

Overall, we had a pretty amazing first day, got up close to animals we’d never seen before and spotted loads of wildlife around the reserve while driving between activities. I think I can speak for the whole group when I say that we’ve all loved the first day and can’t wait to see what the next two weeks have in store.

10th June
Today we witnessed how things can go wrong when working with wildlife in the field. While trying to capture a single zebra out on the reserve, it took three attempts before a suitable candidate was anaesthetised. This demonstrated that darting isn’t as easy as it may seem, and there’s lots of variables to get right. After waiting for the zebra to be fully sedated, we approached and together got her onto a stretcher. Doug had an injection to top up her sedation to allow us to get her into the truck. When she was safely in, Alison administered the reversal. Meanwhile, Sophie went to reverse the sedation of another zebra who was not sedated properly during the first dart attempt.

The truck departed to take the zebra to her new home, and we went to another part of the reserve to help move a buffalo who was in an enclosure for TB testing, but needed relocated to a bigger, more suitable one. Notoriously dangerous, we all had to act quickly and move precisely when instructed to ensure everyone’s safety around this guy.

Having been thrown in the deep end with regards to drugs over the last couple of days, the vet then gave a lecture on wildlife pharmacology, which helped us all to consolidate the points we’d picked up practically.

Our morning wrapped up with a zebra necropsy, during which we tried to apply our pathology knowledge on a slightly higher species than we’re used to at vet school!

The afternoon was a little more relaxed, involving watching lions on the reserve lazily attempting to hunt and monitoring white rhinos. We identified them by their ear notches and enjoyed watching them at peace.

11th June
Having had various discussions about poaching and prevention over the last few days, we tried our hands with a rifle and shotgun this morning, whilst considering the purpose of such weapons on a game reserve (eg within anti-poaching units). After Sophie and Hannah proved to be the best shots, we then used telemetry equipment to track one of the leopards on the reserve. Although unsuccessful, we enjoyed the drive, spotting other wildlife along the way.

Having been passively trapped, a male and female buffalo needed parasite treatment. Darting proved harder than expected, and stealth tactics had to be adopted to coax them out of their hiding spot. Once sedated, we had to work fast. The bull’s horn length was measured and age assessed. Lucy then administered pour-on ivermectin for parasites.

Doug pregnancy diagnosed the female while I gave her pour-on. Erin and Megan gave her vitamin injections before Kaitlyn and Sophie timed their antidote injections on each buffalo so they would wake up at the same time. As soon as the reversal was given, we all ran back to the vehicle so we could make a swift get away. Working with the buffalo seemed much more pressured than other species because of the danger of them charging either before the sedation kicked in or after it had been reversed. Hearts racing, everyone seemed able to keep cool and carry out their tasks, even with the potential danger.

12th June
Shamwari is closely linked with the local community, and so we got involved this morning at one of the schools in the nearby town, Patterson. After arriving to some very excited children, who soon had to go inside to continue their lessons, we got to work painting their climbing frame and swings in bright colours and patterns. The end result looked much more fun than the original, unpainted wood. We hope the children will prefer its new look.

In the afternoon we continued our search for the leopard on the reserve. This time, our tracking was more successful, and, using the telemetry equipment, we managed to narrow down a discrete area which she was occupying. Despite managing to localise her whereabouts, we still didn’t manage to catch a glimpse of her.

Our efforts were rewarded, however, when we spotted a rhino and her three-month-old calf at close quarters on the drive back to camp.

15th June
 We put our shooting skills to the test again, this time with the dart gun. The vet discussed adapting to different scenarios such as strong winds, expecting the animal to jump at the sound of the dart and different pressure settings. Most of us seemed to have improved our aim since the rifle range!

We then witnessed it in action, when a wildebeest that needed to be moved off the reserve reacted violently to the shot and ran around for some time. However, expecting this, the vet’s aim was right on target, and the first darting attempt was successful. When the wildebeest finally went down, Heather ear tagged him, ready for his new home, and Doug had an injection to top up his sedation. After a joint effort to get him onto the stretcher and load him into the truck for transport, I climbed in and gave the injection to reverse the anaesthetic to wake him up.

Our day had started with a brief discussion of various things involved in game capture and touched on the topic of rhino poaching. This was followed up by an afternoon talk given by the head of the reserve’s Anti Poaching Unit. Although we’d extensively considered poaching throughout our time at Shamwari already, his presentation really touched a nerve for many of us, and has reinforced the tragedy that will inevitably result in extinction far quicker than we could have guessed. Moved by the reality and scale of the problem, we have all been inspired to raise awareness so others at home can try to understand what has become a very harsh realisation.

Six months on here is what some of our pre vet students are doing…..

Lydia:
‘I have offers to study veterinary medicine from Cambridge and Royal Veterinary College, London and I’m at an Edinburgh interview tomorrow. I haven’t thought about what to do with my summer yet, just focusing on getting the grades for vet school! Although I have been doing a bit of campaigning and fundraising at school for the Forever Wild Rhino Protection Initiative after what we learnt about Rhino Poaching at Shamwari Game Reserve. The experience was great to have some work experience that was something different, and gave me lots of skills from working in a team to mass capture. I definitely want to do some clinical EMS in SA once I am in vet school!’

Megan:
‘I have not applied to vet school yet, I will be applying  to UK, American and Australian vet schools at the end of this year in the hopes of starting in 2016. I think the pre vet program was amazing and it really helped me to grow and develop my skills and having learnt and seen a lot I think it’ll help my application process immensely, mostly because it was an amazing experience and what I encountered and learnt will stick with me. I definitely intend to go back to SA. Both to do more courses, volunteer and hopefully, eventually, to work.’

Victoria:
‘So far in my applications to vet school I have gained an offer from the University of Surrey and universidad cardenal herrera in Valencia. I am going to apply to some more universities in Spain, Germany and Switzerland as well! I have my last exam on may 15th and afterwards I am planning on travelling a bit with friends and working a bit as well.’

Kavitha:
‘I’ve applied to universities: RVC, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Glasgow. Got interviews for all 4! I am considering taking a gap year, 
SA was so amazing for more than just my application, but it’s something different to stand out about in your personal statement and interviews, it helped give me an insight into the opportunities available as a vet. It was the perfect combination of vet work and a holiday. It was a lot more hands on than most work experience I have done. The Post Mortem especially, was the best anatomy lesson I have ever had. The friends I made despite not knowing anyone pushed me out my comfort zone at first, which I think is important as a vet, and teamwork side of things with the game capture was critical to my future vet life. And obviously I’d go back SA if given the opportunity, I intend to do what I can of my EMS abroad anyway, but going back to SA would be a dream.’

Hannah:
‘I have offers to study Veterinary Medicine from Edinburgh and an offer from RVC, and I am still waiting to hear back from Glasgow. I am not sure what I’m going to do over summer other than play a lot of cricket, hopefully get a job, and travel a wee bit.’

Annie:
‘I got in to the University of Illinois and the University of Missouri and still waiting to hear back from the University of Wisconsin. So very exciting!! It’s for real! Actually happening! I’m going to be a vet! I feel like the pre vet program made me look more diverse, gave me an edge doing something that very few have probably ever come anywhere close to.  I also used it to talk about how I had a more global perspective in general, and especially in veterinary care and conservation. It gave me a cool thing to talk about in interviews. Also the spay I did with UK vet Rachel and all the medical lectures we had was great to write and talk about.  As far as future vet life I really feel like the conservation aspect stuck with me. I would LOVE to go back to SA if the opportunity presented itself or if there some vet work I could get involved in.’

Nicolas:
‘I am still in school, one more year to go. I haven’t applied to university yet but I think I will apply to University Zurich. The SA experience was the best thing I ever did. It helped me with finding my extended essay topic. I definitely will be going back to SA if possible. I didn’t really start yet, I just decided on the topic but basically I will write about possible ways on how to stop illegal rhino poaching and trade. I will try to get an interviews with organisations working on the front line of fighting rhino poaching.’

Kobus:
‘The pre vet experience really helped my chance of getting into vet school, as I was the only SA participant and I can also use a recommendation from wildlife vet Johan. I have been shadowing at vets for my summer holiday and working on practical skills have done an artificial insemination course through our school. I am applying to veterinary medicine at University of Pretoria.’

Gonzalo:
‘Well I started university in September, and its amazing! In some way, my experience as a prevet in SA was a dream, and I hope it becomes real again. I often compare what friends in uni what work experience we have all done, I promise that nobody planned to sedate a hyena and collar it! Vet Rachel taught me stuff that is now very useful, I can learn technical names in English and Spanish at the same time and some things of those lessons we had, appear in my notes! My pre vet experience in SA made me feel more certain about what I want to do in my future life and light the “spark” that made me start dreaming about my life as a vet. And of course I would go back to do some vet work in SA, it would not only be to learn, but to live a beautiful experience in a beautiful country with amazing people.’

For anyone who is thinking of taking part in the prevet course or not too sure about applying to veterinary medicine, please do get in touch, drop us an email and ask any questions!
Look forward to hearing from you!

Rachel Simmons MRCVS
Veterinary Surgeon, Cornwall, UK

If you’re about to apply to university, you should already have the necessary work experience, as universities are unlikely to take future placements into account. But there’s absolutely no harm in continuing to take on work placements between now and starting uni, it’ll only make you better.

The universities offering veterinary courses are all very prestigious, and applicants are expected to achieve high grades, so you’re already competing with the cream of the crop. Some experience working in different veterinary sectors is required by most schools, but by making it as broad and interesting an experience as possible you can make your application stand out from the crowd. Having a varied and interesting list of experiences on your CV shows that you’re engaged with your career choice and makes your passion obvious. Pre vet courses can also be a very useful way to get a taste of what veterinary work is like if you’ve still not completely made up your mind. The worst thing you can do is start down that road and 3 years later realise you made the wrong choice!

Start Planning Early

Some universities actually specify that you have to have a certain amount of work experience before applying, and you should know these requirements before applying to avoid disappointment. For example, Liverpool asks that all applicants rack up at least six weeks of work experience in both veterinary and husbandry related sectors.

With this in mind, the sooner you start planning your veterinary work experience and looking into pre vet courses, the better. Not only does it give you more time to get everything sorted, it also gives you more variety, as different opportunities will be available at different times of year. Many vet students will tell you that they were doing work experience for a year or more before applying to university. It’s by no means required that you work that many hours, but it makes you stand out from your fellow applicants as someone who’s willing to go the extra mile and further themselves.

Get the Core Experiences First

When you’re arranging your animal care work experience, think about the core skills you’re going to need. Prioritise getting experience in key areas such as dairy farming, stables and re-homing centers before going for more exotic work experience. That’s not to say that they’re not useful, our own wildlife vet shadowing course is very popular with pre-vets looking to broaden their experience; but you should use these placements as the crowning glory to a strong base rather than the foundation.

What Should I Look to Get Out of My Experience?

Practical skills – First and foremost, you want to be learning as much as you can in the time you have. It will not only make you a more impressive applicant, it will also make you a better vet. It’s ok (and often required) to start out simply watching, but once you’ve been on a placement for a few weeks, look to get your hands dirty!

A reference point – We recommend keeping a diary whilst on work experience, that way you have physical documentation of what it is you’ve been doing on your placement, and also because it forces you to think about what you’ve learned every day and, as a result, helps you get the most out of your time.

A network – Any work placement is going to give you the chance to make contacts that may well be of use to your in the future. Either as part of your university education, or as a future work contact. Make sure to be friendly and helpful the whole time you’re on a course or placement, it makes you memorable and if you ask for a reference at the end you want to make sure you’ve put the best foot forward.

The good news for those of you just starting to think about your applications is there are plenty of opportunities out there for an enthusiastic students looking to train to be a vet. Email, call, talk to people in the know (farmer’s are good people to know!) and you should be able to find at least one person who can give you some time and then recommend you to another person. If you’re struggling to make that first contact, keep in mind there are also paid options available which you can use as a jump start. But really if you’re enthusiastic and show your passion for animals (and medicine, that’s just as important. If not more!) then you should be fine.

Good luck!

Veterinarian

This is one of the most popular career choices for younger people who want to establish a career working with animals. This is a role that combines a number of different duties, including helping to keep creatures free of disease and attending to and treating domestic pets and livestock that are in need of medical attention including surgery. This is the big one, only for those really committed and able to afford the investment of time and money required to follow the long hard educational path that all vets must take. However, once you are qualified the training will open plenty of doors for you in the future, allowing you to pursue a career abroad or hold academic posts.

Veterinary Nurse

This is also a great way into a career working with animals. Nurses are an absolutely vital cog in the operation of a veterinary practice. The nurse is responsible for providing information and support to pet owners, and can also be responsible for carrying out minor operations and general care of pets. Nurses need to be qualified, and there are several qualifications available in the U.K. These will help you both develop the required knowledge base and make it much easier to find work.

Nursing Assistant

This is one of the perfect ways of getting into the industry. It’s an important role that involves providing support to the rest of those working with animals in the veterinary practice. This also happens to be an excellent opportunity for those who want to get work experience or the chance to dip their toe in the veterinary water.

Receptionist

It might sound minor, but this is also a vital role. Not only will you be responsible for coordinating appointments and passing on information to the veterinarians, but you’ll be the first port of call for people who might be getting very emotional in face of any good (or sometimes bad) news they receive while their pets are being treated.

To find out more on our Veterinary Work Experience courses click here.