WILDLIFE VOLUNTEERING: THE RED FLAGS MOST PEOPLE MISS
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I went on the Shimongwe Wildlife Veterinary Expedition with African Conservation Experience, and it was such a wonderful experience. The project is based out of a lion sanctuary and the founder of the sanctuary is so passionate about his mission and wants to educate everyone on how to recognise and fight against the unethical tourist attractions with lions that take place around the world.
He has rescued lions from countries experiencing severe conflict, lions packed into sheds, and several from horrible facilities that tormented them. All of the lions at the sanctuary went from anxious and stressed to very comfortable and happy because they are given the resources to live as naturally as possible after being rescued from being raised in captivity.
This project is ten action-packed nights, and a majority of the cost goes towards pro bono work and veterinary needs that you can assist with for animals that otherwise wouldn’t get the necessary treatment.
During my trip, we got to assist and monitor a lion during a spay, give intramuscular and subcutaneous injections to impalas, nyalas, and sables, draw blood from buffalo, join a two-day safari in Kruger National Park, participate in darting practice from a helicopter, and give an intravenous reversal drug to a rhino after taking radiographs. It was all so enlightening!
For the majority of the time, we stayed on the lion sanctuary's property, which has very nice housing and dining areas along with wifi too. Almost every night we would have a campfire while we ate dinner and would all talk about the day, make jokes, and have a good time. During dusk and dawn, you can hear the lions roar, and we often went on game drives to see the animals within the very large property.
During the experience, there is lots of transportation and travel involved to get anywhere because of the remote location of the project. The roads can be quite bumpy, so I recommend motion sickness medication for anyone who is sensitive to car rides, but I enjoyed the adventure.
Overall, I had a wonderful time, and I met some of the best people on this trip.
Going on a project like this will completely change your perspective on what is really important and will give you resources to help make a positive difference in the world. I am already planning my trip back and I am so grateful for everyone who made this experience possible!
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