How do I put into words my experience in Zimbabwe? Simply put… it was a once in a lifetime experience. From the time we landed until the time we departed; it was nothing but great memories. The first couple of days were laid back and eased us into what we would be getting into. We visited the University of Zimbabwe Veterinary Science department. It amazed me just how much these students had to learn from what little they had in comparison to what we have in the states. Every student was warm and inviting, not hesitating to answer any questions we had, or showing us around the facilities. The sense of community we felt the entire trip was very humbling and inviting.

Antelope Park was the first experience we had up close and personal to the wildlife. We went on game drive, snare sweeps, lion feeding, and elephant encounters. You can see the love the employees and volunteers have for the animals they look after and care for. They were very knowledgeable, knew the different animal species, as well as the many different plant species, and they had a passion for what they did. While we were there to learn about conservation, it was about learning so much more. Being able to get up close to the wild animals was the best part. Being 25ft away from a wild giraffe or being able to interact with trained elephants (that were still wild), to the lion feedings and care. This was as good as I thought it got.

We then went to Iganyana Tented Camp and the trip got even better. We had elephants coming up to our pool to drink while eating dinner each night. We met a couple of amazing bush guides we were incredibly informative about animal tracks and behavior. We could hear some wild animals while sleeping at night, and even got spoiled with “Bush Babies” (hot water bottle) in our beds at night to help keep warm. Yes, the weather was gorgeous, low 40’s at night and low 70’s during the day with no humidity. They are making the experience so great; you don’t even feel like you are glorified camping and still out in the middle of nowhere. Then the nail-biting part of the trip for most. We stayed at Fuller Forest, and this was about the closest we got to camping. We didn’t have much, but we did have the wild animals, especially the lions, “singing” us to sleep every night. They continued calls through the night. This was an awesome experience, but they were so loud it sounded like they were right outside of our tents. Scary!

While we were in Zimbabwe for wildlife conservation, the second-best part of the trip was visiting Victoria Falls. I have heard of this in passing a couple of times before the trip but had never done any research or knew what to expect. Well, it was beyond my wildest dreams. There are no words great enough to describe just how beautiful and breathtaking the falls actually are. I could hear what sounded like waterfalls as we entered the park, but it wasn’t until we got to the first lookout, that I saw what was on the other side. There were several lookout points throughout the park, all leading to the farther most part of the falls, and where the lookouts get the closest. As I passed each one, I was just blown away more and more at how this stunning creation existed. I could have easily sat on a bench and listened to the water for hours. By the time we reached the end of the path, I was soaked from head to toe. But it is not an experience I would trade for anything. We then experience their traditional BOMA dinner. This was one of the best ways we could have finished off the trip. Everyone was involved and laughs were had all around. This is a trip that I will cherish forever and am so grateful that I had the chance to go!
– Megan , SPC Zimbabwe Vet Tech Program, June 2022