I’ve wanted to go to the continent of Africa since I was little, and this trip far exceeded any of my expectations. Zimbabwe was a very beautiful place to visit in terms of its wildlife, nature, and national parks. The overall atmosphere in Zimbabwe was like nothing I have ever experienced before. The people were very friendly from the start of our trip like Antelope Park greeting us with a large welcome sign for the college to the very end of our trip with the Boma dinner that concluded with traditional dancing and drums, colorful sarongs, drum lessons, painted faces, and amazing African food dishes.

We started off our journey with a visit to the veterinary school in Zimbabwe which gave me a new sense of appreciation for the supplies and procedures we have back in America. Our next stop to visit Antelope Park was absolutely amazing and I learned so much about wildlife conservation there. It was exciting to work with the horses and captive lions on the property. We had the opportunity to dip and deworm the lionesses, which was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. The people at Antelope Park were very knowledgeable and eager to share their information. Our last big adventure at Antelope Park was interacting and feeding the elephants; it was truly amazing to see these large magical creatures up close and be able to touch and feed them. Our next stop was Inganyana Tented Camp which was a magical place with wildlife just roaming all around us. There we went for game drives through the area and Hwange National Park where we saw wildlife that was out of this world. The tented camps were impressive, and the man-made watering hole attracted many different animals, and it was magical to see elephants come directly up to the pool during dinner time to drink the pool water.

Next, we headed to the Painted Dog Conservation and rehabilitation facility which was one of my favorites. I fell in love with the painted dogs and wanted to learn more about this endangered species. I learned that they are very social animals and dedicated to their pack. The facility is dedicated to helping them not only survive but thrive in their environment through conservation, education, and outreach programs.
My favorite part of the trip occurred when we were staying in Fuller Forrest at the ALERT volunteer camp. We had the amazing opportunity to work hands on with 3 hyenas that were under immobilization (sedation). I had the responsibility in my group to monitor our hyenas heart rate. We also had the chance to gender sex the hyenas and then reverse one of them with an intramuscular injection after we were all done. It was a once in a lifetime experience and has really opened my eyes to getting a job back in the states working with wildlife.
Afterwards we headed to Victoria Falls, one of the 7 natural wonders of the world with its beautiful waterfall. This was probably the largest and most spectacular waterfall I have ever seen in my life. When we finally made it to the end, we saw two wild boars rummaging through the grass and it was incredible!

Another highlight of the trip was Chobe National Park in Botswana. This was one of our free days and we got the chance to take a boat ride and game safari drive through the park. The wildlife there was absolutely amazing, and I finally got the opportunity to get within like a foot or two from wild lions and cubs. One of the cubs started to nurse on the female lioness which was very interesting to see up close. There was so much incredible wildlife just roaming around and I truly loved it!
This entire trip was a dream come true. It was an experience of a lifetime being able to have hands on access working and helping wildlife. I learned so much valuable information about wildlife medicine and conservation that will stay with me for the rest of my life. This trip really made me realize how much I love working with animals and made me want to try and pursue a career in wildlife veterinary medicine.
– Christine, SPC Zimbabwe Vet Tech Program, June 2022