Shimongwe Wildlife Veterinary Experience

A personalised veterinary experience

Our vet groups range in size from two to ten people, which means you’ll have a personalised experience assisting some of Africa’s most respected wildlife vets in their day-to-day work.

Work with iconic African species

From rhinos and lions to giraffes and kudus, you’ll have the chance to work on and learn about cases involving species, diseases and treatments that are unique to Africa.

Get involved with darting

You may assist the vet’s team during animal darting or learn how to handle a dart gun. While an animal is immobilised, you’ll be responsible for important tasks like monitoring heart and breathing rates.

Gain field clinical experience

You could actively participate in clinical veterinary procedures in the field on a wide array of species. Depending on the case, this may include sterilisation, diagnosis, cutting, stitching, setting bones, as well as learning how to immobilise large animals and test for diseases.

Keep Africa’s wildlife healthy and viable

Vets are the first line of defence in key conservation issues like maintaining genetic diversity and disease management. You’ll assist the vets with management and clinical procedures that support the long-term survival of iconic species.

No unnecessary procedures

You’ll only work on real cases that are in the animal’s best interests. Procedures like rhino horn trimming are carried out periodically but the vets don’t perform these solely for training purposes as they can cause distress to the animals.

Explore rural Africa

Working in the field, you’ll travel to many different wildlife reserves and explore Africa’s diverse ecosystems. You’ll also gain an insight into the culture of local towns and communities.

Learn from skilled wildlife veterinarians

You’ll receive informal lectures in the field covering topics such as physiology, pharmacology, stress and capture-related animal death, chemical and physical restraint of wild animals, capture and transport of large animals, and endemic wildlife diseases.

Support community and animal health

Your contributions directly fund veterinary services that would otherwise be inaccessible to local communities. This includes parasite management, treatment of injuries, and disease prevention programmes - extending the impact of your placement beyond your direct casework.

You’ll join a real veterinarian on their day-to-day casework. What you’ll do depends on which animals are being treated at the time, what kind of care they need, and your level of experience. Because this is a real veterinary environment and not set up for tourism, the work depends on what cases arise. Your veterinary priorities will include a range of the following activities.

Darting, capturing and collaring

Some animals need to be darted for treatment, relocation and monitoring purposes. You’ll assist the on-the-ground team as an expert vet darts an animal either from a 4x4 or a helicopter. Species that are commonly darted include antelope, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and sometimes rhino. You could observe or assist:

• Wildlife darting and game capture.
• Chemical immobilisation and sedation.
• Tagging, ear notching or fitting tracking collars to darted animals.

Field and clinical work

Depending on the vet you work with, you may get to experience a combination of real fieldwork and life inside a busy veterinary clinic. You could observe or assist:

• Treatment of injuries, wounds, health conditions and diseases.
• Disease testing and prevention.
• Pregnancy testing.
• Parasite control.
• Contraceptive work to control breeding in rehabilitation centres or manage populations on wildlife reserves.
• Routine procedures on pets, such as sterilisations, inoculations, and clipping claws.
• A variety of cases, including diseases you won’t experience in other parts of the world, such as biliary, parvovirus, and canine distemper.

Conservation

Veterinarians work on the frontline of wildlife conservation, supporting population management in a variety of settings. You could observe or assist:

• Humane rhino horn trimming.
• Wildlife relocation to help manage populations across different regions.

Wildlife care and rehabilitation

Veterinary procedures are essential to support high levels of animal welfare in wildlife sanctuaries, especially in relation to animals such as lions, which are prone to overpopulation in captive environments. You could observe or assist:

• Health checks to maintain animal wellbeing.
• Spaying and neutering procedures to avoid overpopulation.

You’ll learn about wildlife behaviour, biology and veterinary care, as well as broader conservation issues. Depending on the animals being treated, this will include a range of the following topics.

Behaviour

• Animal behaviour both in the wild and in captivity.
• How animals react to the stress of being captured.

Biology

• The physiology and anatomy of various African wildlife species.
• The natural diet of these wildlife species.
• The processes involved in wildlife care after treatment.

Conservation

• The role of veterinarians and wildlife management in conservation.
• The importance of genetic diversity in wildlife populations.
• Human-wildlife conflict in South Africa resulting from the spread of towns and cities.
• Rhino poaching, anti-poaching methods in the field, and relocation programmes.
• African wildlife’s relationship to employment and tourism.

Lectures in the field

• Wildlife management practices in South Africa.
• Disease management and veterinary drugs used.
• Challenges of treating wild animals, including darting, immobilisation, game capture and relocation.

This project contributes to a variety of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. As part of the team, so will you.

No Poverty End poverty in all its forms everywhere

By offering paid volunteering opportunities, the project attracts international funding that provides a means for the vets to treat sick and injured animals and provide pro bono work to underprivileged communities.

Quality Education Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

All volunteers acquire knowledge of veterinary work, how human actions can affect wildlife and how they can minimise this effect - and have access to the same standard of education regardless of sex and background.

Gender Equality Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

The vets provide equal employment opportunities for local women and men and equal volunteering opportunities for women and men outside the local community.

Sustainable Cities and Communities Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

The vet practices are built sustainably and resiliently using materials that are locally sourced from within South Africa. The project also protects natural heritage through the conservation of iconic African species.

Responsible Consumption and Production Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

The vets promote responsible tourism in a variety of ways: through the creation of local jobs; by educating international visitors how to live in harmony with nature; and in their vital conservation work.

Life on Land Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

The vets take significant action to halt the loss of biodiversity and prevent the extinction of threatened species. Through their involvement in anti-poaching strategies, wildlife disease management, and maintaining genetic diversity in wildlife populations, they play a powerful role in preventing the degradation of South Africa’s natural ecosystems.

The project also takes urgent action to prevent poaching, by trimming rhino horns - an effective deterrent when combined with other wildlife management practices.

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

The vets carry out rhino horn trimming procedures where they remove the exposed portion of the horn. Combined with other wildlife management measures, horn trimming deters poachers and reduces the unethical practices associated with their activities.

Partnerships for the goals Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

Through the project’s partnership with us, they draw in financial resources that are used to fund conservation and provide support to their community partners in South Africa.