Waterberg Wildlife Vets

16/03/2022

21/10/2018

Our final group of Global Vet Students from Ontario were Rachel Costin & Victoria Duggan These two young ladies were always up early and ready to tackle the day’s cases with enthusiasm and passion. They have helped to move a large herd of buffalo as well as assisting with an array of farm- and base practice cases. We miss your friendly smiles and helpfulness. We are looking forward to host, teach and mentor students from Ontario Veterinary College on their Global Vets tour during 2019 who, we are sure, would be of the same high caliber as the entire class of 2018 whom we had the privilege to meet!

21/10/2018

Our 3rd group of students on the Global Vets program were Nate Bachynski, Megan Wieser and Britney Hammer from the Ontario Veterinary College.
As usual, the students had a nice all-round veterinary experience. Apart from an awesome variety of wildlife cases… (YEBO!!!) we were also asked to do some cattle stud work plus the usual small animal cases at the base clinic. Long days were rounded off with excellent food and fun discussions around the campfire at night.
We had joy we had fun and along route we shared some good music in order to make the long drives to the farms short.
(Bonus highlights were the cloudless African sky which made for a spectacular view of the lunar eclipse which happened during their stay as well as the “Mexican Fiesta” farewell.)

13/07/2018

A selection of interesting cases.

13/07/2018

Abigail Picyk, Justin Arthur and Sarah Buchanan were the members of our 2 nd group of students on the Global Vets program from the University of Ontario Canada for 2018.
During their 2 week stay they were exposed to the multiple facets of a truly mixed rural veterinary practice in South Africa. Some of the many farms that were visited included a top-end piggery, several game farms, cattle and sheep farms, working at a predator centre and last but not least treating dogs and cats at the base clinic. Students were called upon to assist with anaesthetic monitoring of all animals, facilitate the loading of wildlife (buffalo, eland, nyala, roan and sable antelope, etc), administering of medication and were also given opportunities to do skin suturing. Cases varied from routine darting for movement of animals, wound management and treatment of the sick to name but a few. (I believe the photos will tell story better.) Veterinary knowledge was tested in the evenings around the campfire during informal discussions and on-route to farms during the day.
(We enjoyed sharing the very unique camaraderie and humour that exist amongst these 3 students… The phrase “Days and donkeys, cheers for years” will be remembered forever!)

11/07/2018

This is our second year to act as hosts and facilitators for students from the University of Ontario Canada
that take part in the Global Vets outreach program.
Our 1 st group for 2018 (with Hailey Hoffman, Malika Ladak, Salomon Schroeter and Melissa Herman) were truly hard working, eager to learn, extremely friendly and willing to assist
with everything. We have recently built a new enclosure for our crocodiles and the students had to
assist with moving these amazing animals to their new home. They also had a chance to assist with work
done on tigers and sables to name but a few. It was a privilege to meet and work with them.

11/07/2018

This time round we had the opportunity to host and share our wildlife work with students from Ecolife
VW03.
Amongst others we had to dart and facilitate the loading of a large group of buffalo bulls for
transportation. Other interesting species that we had to work with were nyalas and sables at nearby
auction bomas. We were also called upon to treat a magnificent sable bull from the Kwalata Wilderness
breeding program. The highlight of the week was the truly rare opportunity to perform surgery on two
lion females as well as a tiger at a predator park.

29/06/2018

We had a wonderful week with Ecolife VW02! The highlight of this week was definitely the darting of zebras on a nearby farm and bringing them home to Zion. We also worked on buffalo, roan and sable.

06/03/2018

An amazing week spent with Vet Tech students from Suny Delhi, New York. This week was marked with a few buffalo cases. The students really enjoyed working with a client’s limousine stud when doing fertility testing on bulls and pregnancy examinations on cows. The darting and relocation of 2 female ostriches was a unique experience. The week ended on a high note with the helicopter-darting exercise.
January 2018

03/03/2018

03/03/2018

28/02/2018

Alicia Kelly, a 3rd year Agricultural and Food Sciences student from the University of Queensland, Australia completed a 3 week Internship at Waterberg Wildlife Vets while staying with us at Zion Game Lodge. There were many highlights of her visit, but John and Alicia will never forget the lion at Ceasars Bush Palace that got out and had to darted and moved back into the safety of his cage. The 3 weeks were filled with action, adventure, stillness of the African Bushveld, long chats around the fire and feasts around the dinner table.
We love every student that arrives as a stranger and leaves as a friend.
January 2018

26/02/2018

A memorable week spent with students from Sydney Australia.
Some of the highlights included Ostrich darting and relocation,
giraffe capture and treatment of an open wound as well as semen collection and fertility testing on a Golden Wildebeest.
December 2017

26/02/2018

A rare opportunity with students from ROSS University (St Kitts)
for dental work on captive cheetah and an exciting giraffe capture.
August 2017.