The first few days coming into Africa I was utterly amazed at the differences compared to back home. The most enjoyable difference had to be the scenery, and of course wildlife. The vast open lands of trees and vegetation are anything unlike what we see in America, let alone in the city. It was so refreshing to look out of my window wherever we were and see acres and acres of open land. I was so stunned to witness how common it was for wildlife to roam the streets within the cities. Watching wild monkeys and baboons take over the city streets was a surreal experience. The most surreal experience of the entire trip must be listening to the lions’ roar to each other every single night. That’s a sound that I will cherish forever.

When visiting a place as amazing as Zimbabwe, there were a plethora of experiences and adventures that stood out to me. Getting the opportunity to deep dive into the culture and wildlife of Africa was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. Although I enjoyed every moment of the trip, there were two experiences that will always be closest to my heart. The most rewarding experience of the trip was getting the chance to come face to face with elephants! It had been a dream of mine to get up close and personal with these gentle giants, and now I have the ability to brag about hugging their leathery trunks! I will cherish the moment of touching the elephants for the rest of my life.

The other, and most exhilarating, experience I had was coming within feet of a wild lion pride while on a safari drive. At this point we had already seen dozens of lions within captivity, and I was dying to see them in their natural habitat. Our safari guide just happened to decide to check out a nearby watering hole, and there we spotted him…a sleeping male lion in the distance. We quickly (and quietly) drove closer, and to our surprise we found three lionesses close by. We settled the safari van within 20-30 feet of the lionesses, when suddenly they roared their intimidating growls and partially lunged forward! I was terrified…but excited at the same time. I couldn’t believe that had just happened to me- I was experiencing pure adrenaline and joy. If it wasn’t for the experience and confidence of our safari guide, I would have been way more terrified, but thanks to him I was able to experience something that no one can say they had before.
– Christi , SPC Zimbabwe Vet Tech Program, June 2022

Africa was quite a trip that I won’t forget and will appreciate for the rest of my life. Personally for me a highlight experience of the trip occurred in Antelope Park as well as Iguanya Camp. At antelope park I interacted with elephants roaming the land and it was so amazing it brought tears to my eyes. While they were in the wild they were very tame. At Iguanya we were sitting for dinner near the pool when a herd of elephants approached and drank from the pool. Once that herd left another would appear and it was mesmerizing, this was also the first time I’ve seen a baby elephant so that was very cool! It’s very cool to see how animal behavior differs from wild animals to zoo or domesticated animals and how you approach and react given each situation. It was also very cool to see how much the local people respected these animals and the measures they are taking to protect them. I can’t wait for another adventure like this!
– Jaida, SPC Zimbabwe Vet Tech Program, June 2022