Throughout the course, students actively engage in medical treatments and veterinary tasks. Key elements include:
• Safe Handling and Administration of Drugs
Students learn to prepare and administer subcutaneous, intramuscular, and intravenous injections to both wildlife and domestic animals. These practical skills are applied during field game capture procedures and community veterinary clinic outreaches. Students also familiarize themselves with a wide range of veterinary medications, including vitamins, antimicrobials, sedatives, and tranquilizers.
• Monitoring Anaesthesia
Students play a crucial role in monitoring animals under anaesthesia during game captures. This includes tracking vital signs such as heart rate, respiratory rate, mucous membrane colour, blood colour, SPO2 and temperature, all while adhering to safety protocols to ensure the animal’s well-being.
In community veterinary clinic settings, students assist with monitoring sterilization procedures for domestic animals. They gain experience in every step of the process—from administering premedication to preparing surgical sites, placing intravenous cannulas, and monitoring anaesthesia with pulse oximeters and manually taking readings. Under supervision, they also practice endotracheal intubation, IV catheterisation and administering medications such as antimicrobials, NSAIDs, and vaccines.
• Darting
Students receive in-depth training on darting systems, a vital skill in wildlife veterinary medicine. They learn how to handle darting equipment, load darts and account for variables like wind, distance, and trajectory. All darting practice is conducted with stationary targets and practice darts in a controlled environment, ensuring safety. Students do not handle live animals or dangerous during this training; sterile water is used to practice simulating dart loading.
Real-World Fieldwork
• Wildlife Capture and Relocation
Students play a critical role in the darting, capture, and relocation of various wildlife species, including antelope, to new game reserves. These operations require teamwork, precision, and attention to detail, ensuring the safety of both the animals and the team throughout the process.
After attending lectures, students are tasked with applying their theoretical knowledge in the field, gaining invaluable hands-on experience. Wildlife capture procedures vary daily, but students are often entrusted with managing critical aspects of the process from the moment the animal is darted.
Students are responsible for timing the procedure, monitoring the animal’s anaesthetic, administering medications, and meticulously recording every step. Accurate record-keeping is crucial, including documenting the duration of the procedure—from the administration of darting drugs to the application of antagonists to wake the animal. This level of precision ensures the animal’s well-being and safety throughout the process.
Students also administer various medications, tailored to the species and situation. These treatments may include vitamins, antimicrobials, wound care, or tranquilizers. They must adjust dosages as necessary, including providing additional drugs to ensure the animal’s stability during transport. Finally, students are responsible for administering reversal agents to wake the animal safely after the procedure. This hands-on involvement, guided by experienced professionals, equips students with essential skills and confidence for future veterinary roles.
• Community Veterinary Work
In rural communities, students gain invaluable hands-on experience providing veterinary care to domestic animals under challenging and resource-limited conditions. They administer tick and flea treatments, vaccines, and anthelmintic medication, often relying on basic tools and practical knowledge due to the lack of advanced technology. These working conditions contrast sharply with modern veterinary practices, teaching students to adapt and deliver effective care in resource-constrained environments.
Community days also provide the students with the opportunity to observe total intravenous anaesthesia, as there are no anaesthesia machines available. This offers a unique contrast to the inhalation gases usually witnessed during practice in most other veterinary practices..
These community days are often eye-opening experiences, broadening students’ perspectives on the realities of rural veterinary work. They also emphasize the critical principles of One Health—the interconnectedness of animal, human, and environmental health. By improving the health of domestic animals, students contribute to the well-being of the people who depend on them, while also reducing the risk of zoonotic diseases and supporting wildlife conservation. This holistic approach reinforces the vital role of veterinary professionals in safeguarding ecosystem health.
• Veterinary Sampling and Diagnostic Skills
A key component of the Vets Go Wild! program is teaching students practical skills, which includes an emphasis on veterinary sampling and diagnostic skills, equipping students with the expertise to collect and analyse samples for disease testing. Under the supervision of experienced professionals, students are actively involved in taking blood samples, faecal samples, and tick samples from animals during procedures. These samples provide valuable data for assessing the health of individual animals and monitoring broader population health trends.
Once collected, students are taught to process and analyse these samples using various diagnostic techniques. They perform tests such as haematocrits to assess red blood cell levels and evaluate hydration status, prepare and examine blood smears to identify parasites or assess cell morphology, and conduct faecal egg counts to quantify parasite burdens. Additionally, they gain practical experience in handling and preserving samples for laboratory submission, ensuring their accuracy and reliability for further testing.
Through this hands-on approach, students develop diagnostic skills and an understanding of the critical role veterinary sampling plays in disease management, wildlife conservation, and One Health initiatives. By learning to interpret test results, students are able to draw connections between clinical signs and laboratory findings, enhancing their ability to make informed decisions in real-world scenarios. These experiences not only deepen their knowledge but also prepare them for the complex diagnostic challenges they will face in their veterinary careers.
Students may also be given the opportunity to perform pregnancy diagnosis in various species during game capture. The students are able to practice both modern, and traditional methods of pregnancy detection. They are able to use an ultrasound scanner as well as practice manual palpation to diagnose pregnancy.
Academic and Conservation Enrichment
In addition to hands-on tasks, the Vets Go Wild! course provides lectures led by seasoned wildlife veterinarians and guest speakers. These sessions enrich students’ understanding of wildlife medicine and conservation, providing insight into the complexities of managing wildlife populations and ecosystems.
Team-Based Conservation Efforts
One of the program’s most impactful components is its emphasis on teamwork and conservation, allowing students to directly apply their learning in the field. Students collaborate to address critical challenges such as wildlife relocations, injury treatments, and population management. These activities provide a dynamic environment where they refine their skills under the supervision of experienced professionals, ensuring both safety and effectiveness.
The program culminates in a “Blitz Day,” an intensive operation where students in their various teams take the lead in planning and executing a wildlife capture and relocation. During this operation, students recommend drug dosages to the wildlife veterinarian, actively contributing to the preparation process. Once the animal is darted by the veterinarian, students take charge of monitoring anaesthesia, administering medications, preparing the animal for transport, and ensuring its overall well-being throughout the procedure.
Under the careful guidance of professionals, students are encouraged to take responsibility, make decisions, and adapt to real-time challenges. This hands-on leadership experience not only consolidates their theoretical knowledge but also builds their confidence and prepares them for future roles in veterinary medicine and conservation. By playing a central role in these high-stakes scenarios, students gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of wildlife veterinary management while contributing meaningfully to conservation efforts.
Beyond Veterinary Training
In addition to its educational value, Vets Go Wild! fosters teamwork, cultural exchange, and a profound respect for the natural world. The program offers participants an unparalleled opportunity to work with wildlife in their natural habitats, develop professional skills, and contribute to the conservation of Africa’s iconic species.
