“The African Dream is exactly what we lived. We hiked, we slept in canvas tents, we were immersed into the literal wilderness, exposed to the most dangerous predators, and I have never been happier in my entire life.
I never anticipated to have every single thought and belief uprooted and smashed going on this trip. I always had this idea of conservation and how it should be done in my head, but after speaking with countless knowledgeable individuals, I have found that it is truly grey.
In most circumstances, the poacher setting snares is trying to feed his family by catching antelope. They accidentally trap other animals.
The hunter coming to kill an elephant is paying thousands of dollars to cull an animal that has been deemed a problem, sick, injured, or in an overpopulated area. That money goes into hiring more guards to protect the species.
This is not to say that there aren’t people doing either of these things unethically, but I had this black and white ideology that all poachers and hunters participating in these actions were scum. While I still do not necessarily agree with or like the situation, I have a more open understanding of these individuals.
I also see the damage that unethical or uneducated people create.
We had the opportunity to dart hyenas for medical care while staying at Fuller Forest in Victoria Falls. This experience was a dream. As a Registered Veterinary Technologist, myself and eight other students were able to draw blood, administer rabies vaccinations, sex check, and monitor anesthesia through TPRs on three hyenas.
The spotted hyena is considered endangered due to habitat loss and human persecution. Furthermore, procedures are not often done on hyenas, so this was a supremely unique circumstance to be able to put my hands on such a dangerous and endangered species.
This trip was humbling. Everything I ever knew was challenged and has ignited a new passion for wildlife conservation. I am now looking into pursuing further career opportunities in the field through veterinary forensics and chemical immobilization training. I hope to eventually change this African Dream I experienced into my new reality. “
– Bailey , SPC Zimbabwe Vet Tech Program, June 2022

After my two weeks in Zimbabwe I feel like I learned a lot about that animals there and how they are cared for.
For this post I will be discussing how they medicate and feed the lions at one of the conservation parks I was at along with some fun facts about them.
For the lions, if they need medications they will lace the meat that they are giving them with the desired medication. I got to witness and assist in a deworming feeding where the dewormer was injected into the meat and then fed to the lions with a fence in between. The lioness’ were very aggressive with their feedings and one in particular which was the alpha of the set of lioness’ was very interested in all of the meat and actually ended up with two doses of dewormer rather than the one since she took the one from another lioness. But this was not a concern since the amount that was given was not harmful if they received an extra.
Ivermectin was also applied as a drench, to the lioness’ to aid in the control of ticks and extoparasites. This was pulled up in a syringe and the sprayed onto their backs when the opportunity arised. This was difficult since they were suspicious of what we were doing and were not turning around to allow us to spray they backs with the medication. It took multiple tries but eventually we got them all drenched.
I also experienced a feeding of male lions which was quite the sight. The me lions when feeding together are very aggressive and will race to the carcass to feed. The alpha male will almost always make it there first and guard the food. The others will get to feed to but most of the time they will run elsewhere to feed. They will even challenge us watching them while they feed since they believe that maybe we will take their food away.
The carcass that the conservation park receives is from local farmers that had cattle culled for whatever reason and need it discarded. So the park will go and grab it so that it is used.
A fun fact I learned while in Zimbabwe was that male lions do not grow their manes immediately. It takes them 4-5 years to have a full mane of hair. I thought this was interesting since in the movies that was never really explained. As I had mentioned in another post “shumba” is lion in the native language in Zimbabwe.
– Amber , SPC Zimbabwe Vet Tech Program, June 2022

Participating in a wildlife veterinary technician program such as the one in Zimbabwe was an absolute dream come true. The game drives, snare sweeps, deworming, vaccination, feeding, counting, hours spent travelling, monitoring, touring, interacting with the locals, and taking in every moment was more than I had thought was possible during the two weeks spent in Zimbabwe and would absolutely love to go back to help more wildlife.
Having the opportunity to speak with local veterinarians to compare medical protocols in Zimbabwe versus America was such an enlightening experience. While this helped me realize how far ahead American veterinary medicine is in comparison, I learned to be grateful for what we have access to in order to help the patients. The difference that access leads to how medicine is performed was a fascinating comparison to be made across multiple conversations.
There is one area for improvement that I can think of. Other than the trip being entirely too short, having more access to the two main languages to learn some local language before going would have been helpful. Though we did not need to know the local languages to do administer medicine to the animals, this may have heled with the language barrier between us and the locals.
– Arienne , SPC Zimbabwe Vet Tech Program, June 2022

One of the most impactful places we visited during our time in Zimbabwe was a small rehabilitation sanctuary called Free To Be Wild. One of my educational goals is to be a veterinary technician at a zoo or a wildlife sanctuary such as the one we visited. We were given a tour of the place and were able to interact with some of the animals there. Being able to feed zebras, interact with the vulture, listen to their rehabilitation stories was highly inspiring to continue with school to achieve the education required to work in a place such as this one. One of the animals that was particularly fun to interact with was a one-month-old baboon named Bodie whose mother was killed resulting in him being orphaned. One a bit older the sanctuary staff will attempt to introduce Bodie to the troop and hopefully release the troop back into the wild. All of the animals were very well cared for and the passion the employees have for these animals is extremely obvious as evidenced by the enclosures, animal excitement, and gross health exhibited by all of the animals.
– Arienne , SPC Zimbabwe Vet Tech Program, June 2022

This country has so much to offer from its food, culture, and wildlife. The beauty of Zimbabwe is all the above. The people are some of the kindest most generous you will ever meet. Their passion for what they truly care and believe in is expressed in every way. A big lesson learned on this journey was that while we all dislike the term poaching, for some it is the only they can feed their families due to the poor economic conditions in Zimbabwe. This however means that techniques used by locals to “hunt” is what is called a snare trap and is truly a terrible way for any animal to die.

The experience at Antelope Park will never be forgotten. From caring for the lions, including cleaning their enclosure, deworming them, giving them a dip bath (topical treatment for tick prevention) watching the feeding frenzy. To the elephants and feeding and walking with them to their favorite spot to eat. We watched in awe the elephants had so much trust in their handlers. To horseback riding in park. Every single discussion from the staff members at Antelope Park had so much meaning from the about everything the park stands for and each one’s role in conservation efforts. The lecture from Dr. G. Campling and her dedication to protect all species and her recent journey to Ukraine to assist with the lions at the zoo who needed to be transported to a safer location. There is so much more to Veterinary medicine.

I appreciate the discussions by Paul and Teri at Iganyana Tented Camp. They went above and beyond to make our experience incredible. Teaching us various animal tracks along with going into detail about the type of conservation work that they strive for.
The tour of Zimbabwe Veterinary School. While Zimbabwe doesn’t have access to the newest and greatest equipment you can hear and see after speaking to the students who attend their goal is to care, treat and protect animals. They use what they have access to, to make veterinary medicine work.
I have met so many great people on this adventure from our team in Zimbabwe (Tapps, Yami, Teddy and Barry who welcomed us all to his home and cooked us an amazing barbecue) along with my fellow students and faculty I consider all of you family.
We will forever laugh about the toilet paper situation, my giant backpack, the monkey who ate snacks in the other cabin at Antelope Park and the Mopane worm eating at the Boma Dinner.
– Candace , SPC Zimbabwe Vet Tech Program, June 2022

While in Africa, one of the things I have been most struck by is the people that work in some of the places we have visited so far. At this point in our trip we have visited the University of Zimbabwe Veterinary School, the Makara cattle farm, Antelope Park, Free to Be Wild, and Iganyana tent camp along with Hwange National Park.

While the animals are astounding and seeing them has changed my life, the people who work with and for them have been incredible. Not only our guides like Sam and Iri, but the people who have been so kind to cook for us and take care of the parks. Everyone cares so deeply about what they are a part of in terms of conservation and is willing to share their passion with anyone. The guides who took their time to introduce us to their elephants, lions and cattle took great pride in them and that was very evident. When I say “their” these men spend so much time with them and know every intimate detail about them physically and behaviorally, these animals might as well be their children. They wanted to make sure they could provide us with all the knowledge they could to help us respect, understand and want to take care of these animals and their environment!

At Iganyana Tent Camp, Terry and his staff want so badly to take care of the wildlife and environment in Hwange. They want to improve their facility to invite all walks of life to the camp in order to spread the message that they are trying to deliver.

So much concentration on conservation it was very heartwarming!!
– Jennifer, SPC Zimbabwe Vet Tech Program, June 2022

I did not know what to expect when I applied to study abroad in Zimbabwe. I was hoping the trip would give me experience with different animals to help prepare me for my career as a Certified Veterinary Technician, but nothing could have prepared me for the life changing experience the study abroad trip became for me.
The trip began with a long flight from Tampa (Florida) to the capital of Zimbabwe. I was expecting a dangerous area, food I may not like, and to have an opportunity to view animals in the areas we were going to visit. My view changed drastically by the end of the trip!
I was greeted by the friendliest of people at every turn! At one location, we were greeted with people playing drums and dancing to welcome us. Not only that, but every meal was four courses and dessert was served at lunch and dinner! The food was not only edible, it was delicious! From chicken to steak, every meal went beyond my expectations.
Yet what truly blew me away was experiencing the wildlife in Africa. At a reservation called Antelope Park, we were given the unique opportunity to observe male lions run at full gallop and compete over their prey. It built a sense of fear and respect that is difficult to describe. As they roared and wrestled and leapt at the gate, it became clear to me that these animals deserve a great deal of respect. However, my involvement with the wildlife did not end there. We were also given opportunities to observe and interact with elephants. We saw crocodiles, water buffalo, giraffe, kudu, sable, impala, mongoose, monkeys, and baboons… just to name a few! We were able to assist in the sedation and relocation of a group of hyenas as well as to deworm a pride of lions. We listened to lectures that taught us about conservation tactics and efforts to stop poaching. We were even able to participate in a bush walk to search for snares, which poachers use to trap and kill protected wildlife. We found and removed one, saving an animal from a terrible fate.
The study abroad trip broadened my view of different cultures and values. I never could have predicted that trip would become a defining event in my life path. Not only was this trip an amazing experience, but it gave me experience to further my career in the veterinary industry as I now seek to work with exotic and endangered species to assist in conservation efforts across the world.
– Valerie, SPC Zimbabwe Vet Tech Program, June 2022