The South Africa Veterinary Experience is intended to allow participants to experience the life of an African wildlife vet, giving exposure to the role as well as related tasks. The specific experiences and any exposure to our experts will of course depend on the work required at the time. Participants can expect to spend their time with our vet, rangers and field guide team, engaged in direct and secondary veterinary activities as well as reserve management sessions. As you will understand, wildlife reserves are dynamic environments and as a result our plans can and probably will change, though the essence of the program will remain. You will of course be there for any unexpected veterinary situations which arise, including emergency call-outs, rescues or necropsies.
An example itinerary is as below:
Sunday Arrive at Port Elizabeth Airport (airport code PLZ) by midday, where you’ll be met by our driver and taken straight to the reserve, a journey of a little over an hour. Make yourself at home before your welcome and orientation in the late afternoon !! Monday Game drive on the Big 5 reserve and introduction to the facilities and environment Tuesday Meet with our vet and receive vet induction. Darting of animals for health and welfare checks. Bloods and faecal samples. Fence patrol. Wednesday Game reserve management lecture. Rifle handling skills (pellet gun). Thursday Walking safari and wildlife information session Friday Predator darting and examination, possible contraceptive dosing / vasectomy of lions
Weekend excursion to Port Elizabeth. Return transport and backpacker accommodation is provided plus a full-day guided tour of Port Elizabeth on Saturday – a morning walking tour followed by beer tasting at 2 local craft breweries and a guided township tour which includes lunch with a local family, a fantastic cultural experience. On Sunday we head on safari to the renowned Addo Elephant National Park – Addo is home to the 'Big 5' and one of the densest elephant populations in Africa, offering unrivalled biodiversity and a magnificent game viewing experience. Spend a full day exploring the 3rd largest National Park in South Africa with our expert guides!
Monday Early morning game drive. Lion / predator anatomy session. Tuesday Breeding lecture. View and monitor the buffalo breeding program. Welfare checks on domestic animals. Wednesday Community Outreach, delivery and provision of meals to local primary schools. Thursday Anti Poaching activity / lecture. Removal of alien vegetation Friday Rhino monitoring. Evening game drive. Saturday Departure day, transfer to add-on tours or join the volunteer program
The Botswana and Vic Falls tour starts in South Africa and finishes in Zimbabwe, travelling via Botswana. 3 countries, 8 days…nice ! With three bucket-list African destinations in a week this adventure tour offers the very best experiences available in Southern Africa. We’ll have you to Port Elizabeth airport nice and early Saturday morning for your short flight to Johannesburg (not included) ready to join your group. The adventure tour is mainly camping (equipment provided) with one budget hotel night and most meals are included as well as a heap of activities (with others available to book as optional extras).
Our journey starts in Johannesburg before we drive north, with an overnight at Khama Rhino Sanctuary and onward to the world-renowned Okavango Delta. Here we undertake a unique and exciting overnight wildlife safari by dugout canoe, watching the myriad species as they gather at the water’s edge to drink.
Chobe National Park is another A-list safari location, here we hope to see herds of elephant, rare antelopes, lion, hyena and African wild dog.
We finish our journey with an adrenalin fix as you peer over the sheer edge of the thundering waters of Victoria Falls. Go wild if you wish, leap off bridges, take a thrilling white water rafting adventure through rampant rapids of the Zambezi or experience the grandeur of raging Victoria Falls from up high in your micro-light aircraft. Then, cool off with a tranquil sunset cruise along the upper Zambezi River as you watch the African bush go by. Operated by our partner G Adventures, the tour price varies month to month but is usually in the range AU $1,499 - $1,749.